Not every leader, nor organization, will withstand this cacophony of upheaval. When responding to the combined threats of sustained economic uncertainty, social unrest, rapid AI adoption, and the fast-evolving political and geopolitical landscape, some will falter—yet others will seize this moment and leap ahead.
With that in mind, one thing has become abundantly clear: the leaders who are primed to guide their organizations over the next decade will be transformational. The ability to drive growth or efficiency gains will no longer be the mark of great leaders; instead, transformational leadership capability will be.
Our research identifies that, while a majority of leaders see a clear need for transformation, it’s not easy. Less than one in three executives report that their transformation efforts to date have been successful.
Organizations are complex, and inertia conspires to waylay transformations. While there’s a huge focus on CEOs amidst these moments, their top priority is to build a transformational leadership team. That means ensuring they have the right people, a winning culture, and clear expectations. It's these teams who are building the change, driving the culture, and ensuring it sticks.
To support CEOs and their organizations through this challenge, we set out to understand what separates leadership teams that overcome inertia and successfully transform their organizations from those that don’t.
Our latest research unpacks why transformation is so difficult, focusing on two key questions CEOs and their leadership teams must answer to be successful:
The true test of transformational leadership is not simply the ability to deliver a transformation; rather, it is the ability to craft an organization that has transformation built into its character.
CEO, Russell Reynolds Associates
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