Global CEOs are meeting ongoing volatility with renewed confidence and agility, according to The CEO Response, Egon Zehnder’s latest study of 1,235 chief executives.
Egon Zehnder, a global leadership advisory and executive search firm, says its research found that 92 percent of CEOs believe they must cultivate unprecedented levels of adaptability to lead effectively through current geopolitical and economic disruption.
“Yet most feel more capable and confident than a year ago, having turned recent crises into lasting lessons in resilience,” the company says in a statement.
Lars-Hendrik Röller, founder and chair of the Berlin Global Dialogue, says CEOs are “increasingly adjusting to the rapidly changing world order, characterised by fragmented alliances, strategic resource shortages, new technologies, and the power of individual actors”.
“Either they help shape the rules of the new order—or they are completely exposed to its complex developments…
He says they are guided by a key insight: “Either they help shape the rules of the new order—or they are completely exposed to its complex developments.”
Nearly six in 10 CEOs (59 percent) view agility and adaptability as the most critical factor for business success today, while 87 percent cite geopolitical instability as their greatest challenge.
“To stay ahead, CEOs are focusing investments on innovation (53 percent), artificial intelligence (44 percent), and employee development (42 percent),” the company says.
The report also finds that 97 percent of CEOs see opportunities to contribute to global prosperity, signalling a broader sense of purpose in leadership.
“Nearly all (99 percent) emphasize cultivating organisational cultures of curiosity and open-mindedness as essential for navigating complexity.”
Launched during this year’s Berlin Global Dialogue, the study underscores a shift in leadership. “Under the theme, Shifting Power, Shaping Prosperity, BGD convenes international government representatives and business leaders to forge new partnerships and make strategic decisions in a multipolar world.”
Michael Ensser, global chair of Egon Zehnder, says of the study’s findings that CEOs have shown “an extraordinary ability to learn from and adapt amid uncertainty and global instability. Beyond managing crises and business upheavals, they are actively defining how to contribute to global prosperity, whether through their business practices or by engaging beyond the boundaries of their organisations”.
“Leadership today means forging new paths with strategic foresight, pragmatism, and collective intelligence…
“Leadership today means forging new paths with strategic foresight, pragmatism, and collective intelligence. Many leaders have recently invested specifically in honing these skills. That investment is now paying off.”
The company says that as global dynamics continue to shift, The CEO Response “underscores a pivotal moment in leadership evolution. CEOs are no longer reacting to uncertainty – they are using it as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and progress.”
Egon Zehnder’s says its findings reveal a generation of leaders that are redefining success through adaptability and purpose, setting a new standard for how organisations can thrive in an unpredictable world.
Click here for more information and to access the full report.
