What matters most to leaders in a world in flux?

Amid volatility on all fronts, which external business issues are leaders most concerned about? And where are they investing their time and energy to find a way forward?

To get a pulse on the business landscape, we surveyed more than 2,500 global board directors, CEOs, C-suite leaders, and next-generation leaders across various industries.

We set out to identify the top external threats leaders are facing today—and how prepared they are to manage them.

01. Economic uncertainty and the availability of key talent remain top threats

This has been a consistent headline since the start of 2022-and these threats show no signs of receding. Rising inflation and interest rates, disrupted supply chains, price fluctuations, and cost of living pressures are complex issues with no quick fixes. Likewise, despite labor markets showing greater stability, talent engagement and retention remain stubborn issues for organizations globally, with 62% of leaders reporting that they

02. Preparedness to face economic uncertainty drops significantly

Leaders' readiness to face economic uncertainty—a top perceived threat— has dropped by 10 percentage points over the last six months. This is the largest single drop in leadership preparedness of any of the external threats we've measured in the last two years. Now, only 48% of leaders

03. Tech change and cyber threats climb the leadership agenda

The arrival of generative Al tools, such as ChatGPT, is creating huge opportunities—as well as a fair amount of anxiety-and many leaders are vet to understand how to put the riaht auardrails in place to protect their

04. Geopolitical concern continues to be viewed as a threat by business leaders

Geopolitical concerns have been a consistently high threat for business leaders since the Russia-Ukraine war began in H1 2022. Today, 37% of leaders have named it as a top-five threat—a figure that will likely increase in our next survey in light of recent events in the Middle East.

Geopolitical threats are becoming incredibly difficult for business leaders to predict and prepare for, with only 33% of leaders feeling that their leadership team is prepared to address this concern.

Regional and industry data

Did you know that hybrid work implementation is more of a concern for leaders in the US and Canada? Or that the availability of key talent and skills is seen as more of a threat in France than in any other country we surveyed? Find out what the top threats are in your country and industry—and leaders' preparedness to face them.