Did you know leadership is a science?
What makes a leader exceptional?
Leadership quality is important for nurturing and maintaining the workforce as reported by 48% of leaders.
Developing the next generation of leaders is the top challenge for 55% of CEOs.
It is predicted by 47% of business experts that there will be a shortage of leadership or executive-level skills in the future.
Ready to redefine your leadership game? Let’s delve into compelling statistics and trends shaping leadership success.
Top Leadership Statistics: Editor’s Pick
- Only 29% of companies offer training for crucial leadership skills. [1]
- On average women make up a quarter of the most senior roles. [3]
- More than 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women, as of 2023. [3]
- Diversity and inclusion have ranked #6 in top priority leadership skills in 2022. [12]
- Hybrid leaders are more likely to be dissatisfied with their role compared to remote or in-person leaders. [16]
- Only three out of five organizations take the necessary steps to save their employees from burnout. [5]
- 29% of employers just display empathy. [5]
- 35% of employees think their boss is a major source of stress at work. [8]
What Are Leadership Skills?
Wondering what makes good leaders?
According to DDI’s latest report, leaders share these common skills:
- Identifying/ developing talent
- Strategic thinking
- Decision Making
- Prioritization
- Influencing Others
Only 12% of leaders rate themselves as effective in all of them. [1]
Shockingly, only 29% of companies offer training for these crucial leadership skills. [1]
- Organizations with effective leaders in identifying and developing talent have a 15% higher chance of internal hiring success rates. [1]
- Leaders with these skills are 3 times more likely to engage with and keep hold of top talent. [1]
- 2x more likely to be prepared to prevent employee burnout. [1]
- 2x more likely to feel comfortable working in different environments. [1]
- 3x more likely to feel confident working in a digital business environment. [1]
Women in Leadership Statistics
Statistics suggest women’s representation has indeed increased in the past few years but is it equal to male representation?
- On average women make up a quarter of the most senior roles. [3]
- According to Forbes, women’s representation in senior management positions globally increased by 32% in 2022. [2]
- Women make up to 45% of senior positions in the UK. [3]
- Women hold 33% of director-level roles. [3]
- Only 23% of women are at the VP level. [3]
- More than 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women, as of 2023. [3]
- In January 2023, 53 companies had female CEOs on the magazine’s list. It was the first time with such numbers. [3]
- Only 85 women are promoted to manager positions compared to 100 men. [4]
Here is the percentage of women in senior management roles worldwide.
| Region | % of Women in Senior Management Roles |
|---|---|
| Asia Pacific | 27% |
| North America | 29% |
| European Union | 30% |
| Latin America | 33% |
| Eastern Europe | 35% |
| Africa | 38% |
Diversity in Leadership Statistics
Diversity and inclusion have ranked #6 in top priority leadership skills in 2022. [12]
Organizations that are considered gender equity leaders report 19% higher revenue growth. [13]
Only 4.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs are people of color, and only 3.6% are female. [14]
People of color own 22.1% of all US businesses. [15]
Companies with high-performing leadership benches have 36% greater background diversity than companies with low-performing benches. [16]
Only 18% of employees agreed that leaders in their company represent diverse demographic backgrounds. [16]
Only 21% agreed their organization recruits and promotes diverse candidate pools. [16]
Source: Deloitte
How Does Leadership Impact Businesses?
Leadership quality is important for nurturing and maintaining the workforce as reported by 48% of leaders. [9]
Developing the next generation of leaders is the top challenge for 55% of CEOs. [9]
63% of millennials reported that they aren’t being fully developed as leaders by their employers for management positions. [9]
Only 11% of HR leaders confirmed they have strong upcoming leaders. [10]
Experts say that there is going to be a scarcity of upcoming leaders as 10k baby boomers retire every day. [11]
Over 77% of organizations report that leadership is lacking. [11]
83% of businesses believe it’s important to develop leaders at all levels. [11]
However, less than 5% of companies have implemented leadership development across all levels. [11]
It is predicted by 47% of business experts that there will be a shortage of leadership or executive-level skills in the future. [11]
What Are Leadership Challenges?
- Developing and retaining future leaders outranks economic and business concerns. [16]
- Only 15% of leaders feel prepared to address and prevent employee burnout. [16]
- Managers account for 70% of discrepancies in employee engagement scores across all business levels. [17]
- Only 27% of leaders believe they are efficient at leading hybrid or virtual teams. [17]
- Hybrid leaders are more likely to be dissatisfied with their role compared to remote or in-person leaders. [16]
Leadership Stress And Burnout Statistics
Are leaders safe from burnout?
About 60% of leaders reported feeling burnt out at the end of every day. [6]
44% of leaders feeling worn out, plan to move out to a new company for career advancement. [6]
Only three out of five organizations take the necessary steps to save their employees from burnout. [5]
29% of employers just display empathy. [5]
26% of leaders plan to leave their current company within one year. [6]
Leadership burnout increased by 27% over the last two years. [6]
Is stress costly for the companies? Absolutely Yes!!
- Businesses in the US reported suffering a $300 billion loss every year because of workplace stress. [7]
- 76% of employees in leadership positions complain that work stress has negatively impacted their relationships. [7]
- 66% of employees report losing sleep due to work stress. [7]
- 16% said they had to quit jobs due to stress. [8]
It is interesting to note that 35% of employees think their boss is a major source of stress at work. [8]
While 80% said a change in direct management has an impact on their stress levels. [8]
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FAQs
What is the percentage of leaders in the world?
Leaders account for 10% of the total population.
What percentage of women are in the leadership?
The percentage of women in leadership differs for various places and positions. Women hold 33% of director-level roles. Only 23% of women are at the VP level. More than 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women, as of 2023.
What challenges are faced by leaders?
Leaders face many challenges in managing workplaces and teams. Only 15% of leaders feel prepared to address and prevent employee burnout. Only 27% of leaders believe they are efficient at leading hybrid or virtual teams.
Conclusion
Leadership is an important trait not only for the individual but also for the businesses. As they say, ‘Good leaders are not born, they are made’. Employers now need to focus on training upcoming leaders in their companies.
It is surprising to note that though 83% of businesses believe it’s important to develop leaders at all levels, less than 5% of companies have implemented leadership development across all levels. Only three out of five organizations take the necessary steps to save their employees from burnout.
Leaders themselves face many challenges like feeling worn out. Covid increased their problems as very few leaders can manage hybrid and remote teams efficiently. So, it becomes even more crucial to train diverse leaders.
Sources
- Ddiworld. 2023 Global Leadership Forecast
- Forbes. Why Everyone Wins With More Women In Leadership
- LinkedIn. Women make up only 30% of UK leadership roles. Why is female representation still so low?
- Catalyst. Women in senior management positions.
- HBR. Preventing Burnout Is About Empathetic Leadership
- DDI. Recent Global Leadership Survey
- Goodpath. Losing sleep because of work
- Kornferry. Workplace Stress Continues to Mount
- Deloitte. High impact leadership
- Apollo Technical. Employee recognition statistics
- Atd People for leadership positions.
- Training Magazine. Leadership Development in the Age of the Great Resignation
- IBM. Women in leadership: Why perception outpaces the pipeline and what to do about it
- Deloitte. The Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards
- US Census Bureau. Who Owns America’s Businesses?
- DDI. Top Companies Reap the Benefits of Bench Strength
- Gallup. Why great managers are so rare
Manisha is a digital writer providing guidance in career development and growth. She facilitates skill development and implementation of the right strategies for advancement. At Jobera, She documents content around the latest market trend analysis, insights, and career planning.