(From HRmagazine.co.uk) -- Leaders lack empathy with their staff, have poor leadership skills and that a third of them are ineffective, according to global research published this morning by talent management firm DDI.

The report found one in three respondents (34%) only sometimes or never consider their leader to be effective, and over a third (37%) are only sometimes or never motivated to give their best by their leader.

Lessons for Leaders from the People Who Matter includes data from an online survey undertaken for DDI by Harris Interactive.

This polled more than 1,250 full-time employees in non-management positions in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, India, Germany and South East Asia (Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore), and found they would rather suffer a bad hangover, do housework or see their credit card bill arrive in the mail than face the prospect of sitting through a performance discussion with their boss. And only 40% of respondents report that their boss never damages their personal self-esteem, leaving 60% saying they do sometimes, most of the time or always.

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