Research Report

Is it a movement or a moment? This is the question posed by so many as conversations about race and equality gain momentum, quiet down, and then start up again. For those impacted by it, racism has never ebbed and flowed. It is a constant reality. But in recent months, conversations and requests for education on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) across organizations have intensified.

Anyone who has ever been a leader knows it comes with as many challenges as it does benefits. But few could have imagined the way leaders have been tested as they’ve navigated the cataclysmic impact of a global pandemic.

The way you think influences how you act. At the same time, your actions reinforce your thoughts. If you have ever been on a diet, you know that you can’t “think” yourself into becoming healthier. The best of intentions needs to be followed up with actions, such as eating well, exercising, and getting rest, in order to achieve success.

This report brief provides a closer look at key themes that emerged from our 2018 research report, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: What Leaders Need Right Now, and in the Future, to Be Successful. The brief explores divergences in how men and women report their experiences in leadership and what, if any, implications this may have for how organizations understand, develop, and evaluate leaders overall.

This report brief provides a closer look at key themes that emerged from our 2018 research report, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: What Leaders Need Right Now, and in the Future, to Be Successful. The brief is based on an individual’s position in the organization (frontline leaders and leaders of leaders) and on how their position impacts their point of view and the skills they need to be successful.

In late Spring 2018, BlessingWhite, a division of GP Strategies, reached out to leaders across the globe to find out what actions, skills, and mindset were most needed to be a successful leader. We wanted to understand what challenges were keeping people up at night and what most excited them about being a leader. And we wanted to know how they are preparing to be leaders in the future, particularly against the backdrop of digital transformation. This report presents the results, shown in aggregate, of our global outreach. We’ve also included results by organizational success to help us better understand what very successful organizations might be doing differently with respect to leadership.

Today’s employees expect their employers to provide some level of career support in the workplace. And it’s smart for companies to meet that expectation – a focus on career development leads to lower turnover, higher engagement, and a stronger and more positive culture.