Research
Global Leadership Forecast 2027
More than 25 years of research. More than 26 million data points. The Global Leadership Forecast is the largest and longest-running leadership study of its kind. This year’s edition draws on 11,395 leaders and 2,519 HR professionals in more than 50 countries to reveal what leaders are up against now, the challenges facing HR, and whether organizations are prepared for what comes next. Explore the data shaping the future of leadership.
View Findings-
17%
of leaders feel confident about anticipating and reacting to the nature and speed of change.
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#1
Skill leaders want to develop over the next three years is driving innovation.
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88%
of HR professionals lack confidence in their leadership pipeline.
Our Findings
The Global Leadership Forecast 2027 examines leadership from three perspectives: the challenges leaders face today, the pressures shaping HR’s priorities, and whether organizations are building the leadership capabilities and pipelines they’ll need for the future. Across these themes, one question runs through all the data: Are leaders, HR, and the talent pipeline actually ready for what's coming next?
Key Finding
Relentless Change Outpaces Leaders, and Performance Pays the Price
Only 17% of leaders feel very prepared for change, while nearly 1 in 5 frequently feel depleted. Change fatigue is becoming a hidden performance risk as leaders stay in their roles.
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Key Finding
Trust Is Lowest Among Those Carrying Out Leadership Decisions
Only 31% of leaders trust senior leadership. Yet organizations whose development programs prioritize trust-building meet financial targets at a 49% higher rate.
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Key Finding
Leader Engagement Is Shaped After the Promotion
Half of leaders sit in a lukewarm middle: not checked out, but not fully engaged. But what moves them to full engagement isn't whether they wanted the job.
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Key Finding
AI Readiness: Why Adoption Isn’t the Same as Capability
Two in five leaders use AI to make decisions. Just 18% say anyone checks the quality of what it produces. See what AI readiness actually requires.
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Key Finding
The Future Leadership Skills Leaders Need Most
Innovation, change, and strategy top every leader's list. Empathy, trust, and communication sit at the bottom. See what that costs and how to close the gap.
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Next Installment
Key Finding:
Leadership Training Approaches
Next Installment
Key Finding:
AI-Enabled Development
Next Installment
Key Finding:
Bench Strength
Next Installment
Key Finding:
Leadership Quality
Next Installment
Key Finding:
High Potentials
About the Global Leadership Forecast Series
For more than 25 years, DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast has tracked the forces reshaping leadership and the practices that help organizations build stronger leaders. Now in its twelfth installment, it is the largest and longest-running leadership study of its kind.
The Global Leadership Forecast 2027 draws on insights from 11,300+ leaders and 2,500+ HR professionals across more than 50 countries. The research explores how leaders experience their roles, the challenges facing HR, and how organizations can strengthen leadership capabilities and pipelines for what’s next.
Research and Insights Team
Meet the DDI experts behind Global Leadership Forecast 2027.
Rosey Rhyne
Manager & Research Lead, Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research
Elsheba Abraham, Ph.D.
Senior Behavioral Insights Consultant, Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research
Tacy M. Byham, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Verity Creedy
Chief Product Officer
Kevin Tamanini, Ph.D.
Vice President, Professional Services