LHH, the integrated professional talent solutions provider and global business unit of the Adecco Group, today releases its report reviewing the current state of executive search and transition processes.
View from the C-Suite: Executive Talent Strategies for a New Era, draws on perspectives from more than 4,600 executives worldwide and highlights the trends reshaping leadership, from evolving career paths to the skills organizations value most in a rapidly changing business environment. The report also outlines strategies for building leadership teams capable of navigating complexity, driving transformation, and creating lasting impact.
Nearly six in ten executives expect to make a career move within the next three years, indicating a need for organizations to future-proof leadership strategies with succession planning and talent strategies that retain and develop top leaders. The report offers actionable insights to help organizations elevate executive search as a strategic priority, build world-class leadership teams, and equip leaders to succeed in an era of rapid change and unprecedented opportunity.
One in three newly appointed executives say they do not feel confident in their ability to perform within the first year of a new role and almost just as many executives lack confidence in their leadership team’s ability to perform. Of the executives surveyed, 30% also indicated wanting to develop new skills as a top-rated reason for their departure. Trust, support and the ongoing skills-gaps across all stages of talent development, including leadership, point to broader overarching challenges of continued vacancies if there is risk of underprepared successors.
At the same time, the skill set organizations look for in leaders is shifting. Technical expertise is no longer the sole differentiator, but rather soft skills such as collaboration, strategic thinking and communication top the list of must-have qualities. Executives who can adapt, inspire and drive transformation are in highest demand, underscoring the value of human-centered leadership.
However, technology is still crucial understanding to the leaders at the forefront of workforce transformation. More than a third of executives say AI and digital fluency are the most critical capabilities for leadership teams. Leading AI success across organizations requires senior leaders who can integrate the technology responsibly, aligned with strategy and scale across the enterprise.
“Leadership is being redefined. To stay ahead, organizations need executive talent strategies that identify and recruit leaders with the right skills and provide the support, empathy and partnership they need to succeed in complex, changing environments,” says Nicole Gable, North America Recruitment Solutions president at LHH. “The executives who make the biggest impact are those who blend human-centered skills with the ability to leverage technology to communicate vision, drive results and lead with purpose.”
As the trusted leader in executive search, LHH connects organizations to leaders who bring expertise, passion, and fresh perspectives. With a distinctly human approach and a focus on long-term partnerships, LHH delivers a boutique experience that creates long-lasting, strategic leadership outcomes from Executive Search to Executive Interim Management and leadership workforce planning from Talent Mapping to Executive Assessments.
