2024-02-03-DDI-2023_DDI_Global_Leadership_Report_2023全球领导力展望_全球报告_25页_3mb

Global Leadership Forecast 2023 Summary

Core Content

The Global Leadership Forecast 2023 is the tenth edition of DDI's long-running global leadership study, analyzing data from 1,827 HR professionals and 13,695 leaders across 1,556 organizations in over 50 countries and 24 industry sectors. The report highlights the evolving expectations of leaders and the challenges companies face in developing and retaining talent in a rapidly changing work environment.

Main Findings

1. Fragile Workforces Keep CEOs Up at Night

• Talent-related challenges are the top concern for CEOs, surpassing other economic and business issues.
• High-potential leaders are particularly vulnerable to leaving due to burnout, career dissatisfaction, or better opportunities elsewhere.
• Companies with strong leadership benches are significantly more successful in retaining talent, preventing burnout, and achieving financial performance.

2. Top Companies Reap the Benefits of Bench Strength

• Only 12% of companies feel confident about their leadership bench strength.
• Companies with strong benches are:
  • 10X more likely to have employees rate leader quality as "very good" or "excellent".
  • 6X more likely to engage and retain top talent.
  • 5X more likely to prevent employee burnout.
  • 3X more likely to be top-performing financially.

3. A Crisis of Trust in Leadership

• Trust is critical for remote and hybrid work, as well as for talent attraction and retention.
• Only 46% of leaders trust their direct managers, and 32% trust senior leaders.
• Hybrid workers are 22% more likely to trust senior leaders than in-person workers.
• Seven key behaviors improve trust:
  1. Listening and responding with empathy.
  2. Providing growth opportunities.
  3. Sharing rationale for decisions.
  4. Acknowledging personal failures.
  5. Inquiring about employee wellbeing.
  6. Encouraging challenge to old ways.
  7. Recognizing team success.
• Leaders who display vulnerability are 5.3X more likely to be trusted.

4. Confidence in Leadership Takes a Nosedive

• Only 40% of leaders rate their company's leadership quality as "very good" or "excellent", a significant drop from previous years.
• 72% of leaders report feeling exhausted at the end of the day, up from 60% in 2020.
• Only 15% of leaders feel prepared to prevent employee burnout.
• Leadership quality is closely tied to company culture and employee engagement.

5. Hybrid Work Doesn’t Deliver Its Promise

• Hybrid work is often seen as a compromise, but it is least satisfying for leaders.
• Only 49% of hybrid leaders feel definitely engaged, and 33% say their work energizes them.
• Hybrid leaders struggle with work-life balance and are less likely to feel supported in their roles.
• 27% of leaders feel very effective at leading hybrid or virtual teams, making it their least-effective area.

6. Purpose Drives Engagement

• Less than half of leaders feel their jobs are full of meaning and purpose.
• Purpose is especially lacking in first- and second-line leaders.
• Leaders who feel a strong sense of purpose are:
  • 9X more likely to feel engaged.
  • 2.4X more likely to intend to stay at the company.
• Companies should infuse purpose into leadership development from the top down.

7. Coaching Cultures Are Effective, but Dwindling

• The percentage of companies relying on coaching for leader development has declined.
• Companies that do invest in coaching see significant returns in leader development and engagement.
• Leaders who receive coaching are more likely to feel a sense of purpose and are more engaged.

8. Five Skills Leaders Need for the Future

• Leaders want to strengthen skills in five areas:
  • Emotional intelligence.
  • Strategic thinking.
  • Virtual leadership.
  • Influence and persuasion.
  • Innovation and adaptability.
• Few companies are prioritizing development in these areas.

9. Leaders Crave the Human Experience of Learning

• In-person learning experiences are preferred by leaders.
• Successful learning strategies are cohesive and span multiple levels of the organization.
• Companies should focus on creating learning environments that are human-centered and interactive.

Key Recommendations

• Drive retention by investing in leadership development and creating a culture that supports diverse talent.
• Build trust through empathetic leadership and open communication.
• Define a high-quality leadership culture that emphasizes development, internal promotion, and a common leadership model.
• Enhance engagement by promoting trust, visibility, and feedback in hybrid and remote teams.
• Infuse purpose into leadership development through meaningful career conversations, clear expectations, and strategic alignment.
• Invest in coaching to improve leadership skills and foster a culture of continuous learning.
• Focus on the five future skills to prepare leaders for uncertainty and change.

Conclusion

The Global Leadership Forecast 2023 underscores the importance of a human-centered leadership approach in today’s volatile and rapidly evolving business environment. Leaders are seeking more than just job security—they want meaningful work, growth opportunities, and trust in their organizations. Companies that prioritize these elements will be better positioned to retain top talent, develop future leaders, and succeed in the long term.