Leadership Research

In 2007, researchers at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) asked 247 senior executives around the world about  corporate leadership trends.

The survey resulted in the following 10 top trends:

Trend 1:  The Rise of Complex Challenges: Nearly 92 percent of the executives surveyed believe the challenges their organizations face are more complex than they were just five years ago due to mounting pressure to do more with less and respond faster to changes.

Trend 2:  The Innovation Revolution: Innovation is a hot topic for all organisations, with a focus on how best to capture and exploit innovative ideas.

Trend 3:  The Art of Virtual Leadership: As globalization increases, organisations are continually asked to bridge cultural,geographical and functional boundaries effectively and efficiently without face-to-face contact.

Trend 4:  Collaboration Nation: In a complex, global environment and with new technology and the necessity for continued innovation, collaboration is becoming a central part of effective leadership.

Trend 5: The World of Interruption: Interruption in the workplace is common and unavoidable. The main ways executives deal with interruption is by closing their door, empowering their executive assistant and turning off phones.

Trend 6:  Authenticity Is the Next Celebrity: Nearly 90 per cent of the executives surveyed felt they expressed their authentic self enabling them to do their job without compromising their values, beliefs, or personality.

Trends 7 & 8:  The Fallout from the Baby Boom and filling the Leadership Void: More than 74 percent of the leaders surveyed believe the next generation of leaders will place unique demands on their organisations. Organisations will need to find innovative ways to attract and retain older workers while meeting the development and career needs of those just entering the workforce.

Trend 9:  Leadership for Longevity: Research shows that effective leadership and regular exercise are strongly linked. Executives who exercise are rated higher by coworkers on their leadership effectiveness than non-exercisers. Exercisers also score better in all leadership categories including organization, credibility, leading others and authenticity (European CEO, Dec 2006).

Trend 10:  What’s Next?  The trend most often mentioned as emerging is the shift from an autocratic style of leadership to one that’s more participative. Executives also highlighted emerging trends towards instant gratification, more effective use of technology as a communication and management tool and the increasing importance of balance between time spent at home and at work.