Building a Leadership Strategy for Transformation and Growth
42% of CEOs believe their company will not be viable beyond the next 10 years without reinvention. Are your leaders ready to drive the change? In the face of rising global challenges, effective talent leadership will be crucial to oversee transformation across not only your talent engine but also in step with your wider business strategy.
But our research highlights two startling facts – 41% of business leaders feel unprepared for future demands, while only 10% of organisations qualify as truly future-ready.
Without investment in future leaders, organisations risk stalled transformation and slower growth. Read this guide to understand not only how to support your current senior talent, but also how to hire successfully for the future leaders you’ll need over the next decade.
A Fiercely Competitive Market
An Accenture report on transformation reveals organisations with mature change leadership capabilities double the success rate of transformation efforts compared to those without. It also directly links leadership capability to return on investment (ROI), cost savings, growth outcomes, and increased productivity.
Weak or ineffective leadership signals a critical long-term vulnerability, harming not only your organisation’s ability to adapt but also your business’s bottom line.
Balancing the Change
As Accenture’s report shows, managers are twice as likely as the C-suite to think organisational change is happening too fast. At the same time, only 42% of employees feel capable of handling the change.
Leaders are crucial to motivating teams and managing reservations. However, organisations that move too quickly or hire the wrong leader can risk even more disruption. This can include internal leadership struggling to align on clear strategies, or new hires who turn out to be the wrong cultural fit.
Here are the actions to take for a balanced approach:
Support Your Internal Leadership
Our research shows 29% of business leaders see a lack of leadership readiness as a direct risk to business growth.
Consider these steps to develop your current leadership: 1) Align the C-suite
53% of CEOs report their leadership teams struggle to align around strategies and next steps promptly.
Ensure you:
Bridge the gap between CHRO and other senior leaders – talent should be central to broader business strategy, and vice versa.
Encourage dialogue and empower each leader to bring their own unique perspectives and expertise to subjects – including those outside their typical remits.
Secure commitment from leadership to address challenges together and define clear goals to ensure alignment.
2) Engage wider teams
O.C. Tanner’s 2025 Global Culture Report indicates 36% of workers no longer feel confident in their senior leaders, while 37% feel unsupported by them.
Once the C-suite are aligned, take steps to:
Translate strategy into plain English with a clear focus on what it means for individual teams, with actions and timelines.
Create open communication channels and respond to what leaders are being told.
Identify quick wins and recognise team successes to build motivation.
3) Upskill and reskill
A 2024 research article indicates that workplaces with good employee-manager relations report significantly higher job satisfaction, with strong links to organisational growth.
Develop your leaders by:
Investing in leadership-specific educational pathways, focusing on the key skills needed to manage transformation.
Looking beyond technical skills at often-overlooked interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence, active listening, conflict resolution, and storytelling.
4) Hire and develop from within
Businesses can safeguard their future leadership pipelines by promoting internally. The right recruitment partner can also help to engage external specialists to pursue development initiatives.
Case Study:
As part of our evolving recruitment service, Tesco PLC asked us to help support their future leadership candidates. Utilising our digital coaching platform, we provided a customised online training and development package to Tesco’s Women in Leadership cohort of 100 future female leaders. We also engaged our wider TAG ecosystem to provide personalised long-term career pathways and executive career transition services for top internal talent. By directly developing Tesco’s future leaders, we were able to help secure a positive future direction for the company.
Review Your Leadership Hiring Strategy
Sometimes it is necessary to reinforce internal leadership with external perspectives. Bringing in the right senior hire can easily set organisations back on track for transformation, innovation and growth.
Take these steps to secure your future direction:
1) Review leadership pipelines and succession plans
A McKinsey analysis reveals that up to 46% of executive transitions are perceived as failures or disappointments within two years.
Without robust forward planning, organisations can be tempted to rush into hiring decisions, with uncertain outcomes.
By regularly reviewing leadership pipelines and succession plans, businesses can better prepare for the future by identifying potential gaps in advance and maintaining a steady footing to quickly attract new talent at critical times.
Case study:
A UK housing provider urgently needed a new Director of Asset Strategy and Investment. We utilised our experienced Executive Search team to overcome high demand, completing a nationwide search and selection within two months. Due to the strength of the final two candidates, the client created an additional director-level role to accommodate both. Following the appointment, both have continued to utilise Adecco for their recruitment needs, establishing a strong partnership for the future.
2) Look beyond leadership at wider support
Our research reveals 72% of HR leaders struggle to keep up with workforce agility demands.
Leadership cannot guide transformation alone – to be effective, organisations must support leaders with the people resources they need, so they can focus on strategy rather than delivery.
3) Consider external support
The right recruitment partner can take senior and executive recruitment challenges away. Our Executive Search team’s top-flight approach expertly identifies, attracts, assesses and develops the individuals needed to support key UK sectors, including the public sector.
Case Study:
A UK city centre regeneration project required critical leadership talent. Our team conducted comprehensive UK market mapping and an intensive search and selection process to identify the right candidates. Before interviewing, candidates were provided with bespoke comms and taken on a tour of the development sites to help them visualise the plans. Adecco fulfilled all roles, including two extra positions added by the client to accommodate the large number of candidates who impressed.
In an increasingly fast-changing landscape, strong leadership will spell the difference between those organisations equipped to take advantage of the change and those who will struggle to adapt. But ensuring a truly effective approach to leadership hiring and development is where many organisations struggle.
Ready to assess your leadership pipeline?
Our Executive Search practice is proud to help clients meet their present and future talent challenges by delivering intelligence-driven, inclusive recruitment, assessment and development services, including:
Investment in leadership to ensure future readiness, including board and senior leadership search, and executive and non-executive recruitment.
Digital campaign management, including microsite creation and programmatic advertising.
Assessment and development, incorporating top team selection and cultural development, to get the most from your leadership teams.
Panel support and selection, including interviewing and chairing of panels.
Strategic workforce planning to secure your long-term leadership pipeline.
With over 30 year’s experience covering specific niche sectors, our executive search practice teams are ready to help you build a dynamic future talent pipeline tailored to your needs.
Book a no-obligation discussion with one of our specialists today:
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