The Gallup Podcast

In this conversation from Gallup’s “Leading With Strengths” interview series, Gallup CEO Jon Clifton talks with Penny Pennington, managing partner at Edward Jones, a firm serving 9 million families. Pennington makes the case that great financial advice begins with relationships and that a leader’s most important work is inspiring hope, including among the 55,000 employees who serve those families. She explains how listening and a commitment to continuous learning shape the way she leads, at a moment when the future feels uncertain to many. Listen to more conversations from “Leading With Strengths”:https://www.gallup.com/leading-with-strengths

New research from Gallup and The Allstate Foundation finds that service doesn't just help communities — it changes the young people who provide it.Stephanie Marken, a senior partner at Gallup, talks with Greg Weatherford II, Director of The Allstate Foundation and Social Impact, about the latest findings.Drawing on a survey of more than 3,000 young people aged 12 to 25, the research explores how service builds career readiness, community connection and resilience — and why the effects are strongest when young people lead the work themselves.

Each year, Gallup asks people around the world if they would like to move to another country — and if so, which one. Of course, not everyone who seeks to migrate is able to do so. But what would it mean for populations and labor forces worldwide if everyone who sought to migrate moved to their desired country?  Julie Ray, Gallup’s managing editor for world news, joins the podcast to discuss her latest analysis. Later, Justin Gest — professor of policy and government at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government — discusses the themes of his new book, Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy.

For a second consecutive year, global employee engagement has fallen — a pattern without precedent in Gallup's trend, and a loss of productivity that carries a $10 trillion price tag. At the center of the decline: managers. In this episode, Chief Scientist for Workplace Management & Wellbeing Jim Harter unpacks the findings of Gallup's 2026 State of the Global Workplace report. Later, Gallup CEO Jon Clifton talks about what the data mean for AI adoption, employee wellbeing and the future of work.

The latest World Happiness Report shows that while the world’s happiest countries remain largely unchanged, deeper shifts are underway beneath the surface. In this episode, Ilana Ron-Levey, managing director at Gallup, and Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor at the University of Oxford and  director of its Wellbeing Research Centre, explore how global happiness rankings are evolving, a growing generational divide and what these trends reveal about how people experience their lives today.

The findings of “Black Thriving in America” reveal a complex landscape for the lives and experiences of millions of Black adults in the U.S. This annual report, the product of a partnership between the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center and the Gallup Center on Black Voices, is an in-depth, data-driven examination of Black Americans’ lived experiences, with a focus on wellbeing, equity and opportunity. Camille Lloyd, director of the Gallup Center on Black Voices, and Dr. M.C. Brown II, executive director and research scientist at the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center, discuss the report’s latest findings with:  Delano Squires, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Human FlourishingDr. LaToya B. Parker, senior researcher in the Office of the President at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

There is no shortage of contenders for “the most important problem in the world.” Every day, leaders confront a growing list of complex and overlapping challenges that demand their attention. A new report from Gallup, released at World Governments Summit 2026, focuses on the issues people most want their leaders to solve, based on their responses to a new question added to the Gallup World Poll: “According to you, what is the most important problem your country is facing currently?” Riada Akyol, senior communications consultant at Gallup, and Benedict Vigers, Gallup senior global news writer, discuss the findings from this new research.Read the report, “The World’s Most Important Problem,” here: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/701519/worlds-most-important-problem-report.aspx

In a conversation between Gallup CEO Jon Clifton and Dr. Marlene Tromp, president of the University of Vermont, Tromp shares how her strengths shape the way she leads. Listen in as Tromp discusses how she thinks about building trust and belonging across campus and why clarity and self-awareness are essential in moments of uncertainty. Originally recorded as part of Gallup’s “Leading With Strengths” leadership interview series, this discussion offers timely insight for leaders across education and beyond — especially those guiding the next generation through rapid change.The Gallup Podcast will return with new episodes in 2026.

The Gallup Podcast will return in 2026. As we round out the year, we invite you to explore Leading With Strengths, a special series on global leadership. Through in-depth interviews, we uncover the decisions, mindsets and strengths that define exceptional leadership across industries and cultures.  Juan Carlos Pinzón twice served as Colombia’s ambassador to the U.S., helping commemorate 200 years of diplomatic relations. From 2011 to 2015, he was Colombia’s youngest minister of defense, after serving as chief of staff to the president, vice minister of defense, and adviser at the World Bank, along with senior positions in banking and finance. Pinzón is a visiting professor at Princeton University.  In this conversation, Gallup CEO Jon Clifton speaks with Pinzón regarding what history teaches us about leadership, why great leaders think beyond tomorrow’s headlines, how the emotions of a nation shape its destiny, and why understanding people’s pain is crucial.  Discover more interviews at www.gallup.com/leading-with-strengths

Synopsis: Americans are hesitant and skeptical when it comes to AI — but at the same time, U.S. employees’ use of AI at work has taken off. However, there are bigger-picture questions about AI that linger, on safety and national security, governance, international cooperation, and more.New research with the Special Competitive Studies Project provides insights on how Americans are grappling with the threats and possibilities of these advancing developments. Read up on Gallup’s latest findings on this topic: AI: Major Threat or Just the Next Tech Thing?AI Use at Work Has Nearly Doubled in Two YearsAmericans Prioritize AI Safety and Data SecurityAmerican Views on AI, National Security in 5 Charts