LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., July 9, 2014 – A new whitepaper released by Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE:AON), reveals three fundamental similarities of engaging leaders that differentiate how they drive engagement of others and improve business outcomes.

The whitepaper, titled “The Engaging Leader,” combines the insights from Aon Hewitt’s Global Employee Research Database of 7 million employees with a qualitative study across organizations, collecting data through interviews with leaders of highly engaged teams, as well as employee focus groups discussing leader engagement. Aon Hewitt conducted this research to dig deeper into how leaders can be more engaging of their direct reports and those around them.

“Through our research, we discovered that while each leader possesses unique qualities, there are three consistent aspects of the engaging leader profile,” said Dr. Ken Oehler, partner, Aon Hewitt’s Global Engagement Practice. “Engaging leaders have all had early stretch experiences that have shaped them; they have a unique belief system; and they behave in ways that positively and exponentially impact the engagement of those around them.”

Specifically, Aon Hewitt found that:

• Experiences shape engaging leaders’ core beliefs about people, work and what it means to be a leader. While each individual’s experiences are unique, the lessons learned throughout their lives consistently transform them as individuals.

• Guiding beliefs drive how engaging leaders approach work, as well as the behaviors and interactions they have with the people they lead. These core beliefs include servant leadership—that leadership is a responsibility and not a reward—and that relationships, emotions and trust matter.

• Engaging leaders behave in a way that shares their own engagement and purpose. They strive to stabilize and energize their people and take time to cultivate relationships. Engaging leaders are also authentic because their behaviors are aligned with their beliefs.

“Understanding the three consistent aspects of engaging leaders can help inform a company’s talent management process,” said Lorraine Stomski, partner, Aon Hewitt’s Leadership Practice. “Being thoughtful and intentional about providing high-potential talent with stretch experiences earlier in their career will help them navigate through ambiguity and build their leadership skills. Leaders who have a high degree of emotional intelligence, humility and sense of purpose will emerge, helping organizations identify and select the right leaders needed now.”

To learn more about what steps companies should take to ensure they are maximizing employee engagement, read The Engaging Leader white paper. Access Aon Hewitt’s 2014 Trends in Global Employee Engagement report.

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About Aon Hewitt

Aon Hewitt empowers organizations and individuals to secure a better future through innovative talent, retirement and health solutions. We advise, design and execute a wide range of solutions that enable clients to cultivate talent to drive organizational and personal performance and growth, navigate retirement risk while providing new levels of financial security, and redefine health solutions for greater choice, affordability and wellness.  Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions, with over 30,000 professionals in 90 countries serving more than 20,000 clients worldwide.  For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com. 

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 66,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world’s best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon’s global and principle partnership with Manchester United. 

Aon Hewitt Media Contacts:

Roxanne Pipitone, 847-442-1317, roxanne.pipitone@aonhewitt.com

Maurissa Kanter, 847-442-0952, maurissa.kanter@aonhewitt.com