I think that if we want to accelerate and be ready for a new and best world for all generations to come, we have to put our hands together now with all of society, no matter if you are part of a public or private organization.
CEO respondent
What is on the minds of today’s CEOs? We asked, and over 1,200 CEOs across the globe responded. There are many insights in our new report—The CEO Response 2025—but one stands out: Today’s chief executives refuse to be paralyzed by the global challenges they are confronting. Instead, they show a staunch resolve to roll up their sleeves, accept the realities of uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence, and position themselves and their companies to grow and enhance global prosperity.
There is wide consensus among these business leaders that to meet these future ends, they must cultivate levels of adaptability beyond anything previously imagined within themselves and their teams. Years of navigating crises and constant uncertainty have taught them to lean in, move head-on into complexity and that adaptability and agility are the most critical skills to develop. As the old saying goes—if you can’t go around it, over it, or under it, you must go through it.
We believe this report unveils a pivotal moment in the evolution of leadership. CEOs are shifting from reacting to uncertainty—they are using it as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and progress. Here are some other key findings of the report:
1. Compared to just a year ago, most CEOs report feeling a lot more prepared for the complexities and challenges they foresee ahead.
1. Compared to just a year ago, most CEOs report feeling a lot more prepared for the complexities and challenges they foresee ahead.
While seventy-two percent of CEOs see the prospects for global prosperity declining or stagnating, most feel ready to navigate these realities and affect change —in part because the past few years have been a learning experience like no other. “We are getting accustomed to tackling frequent disruptions in business by now,” one CEO explained.
2. A striking 97% recognize possibilities for contributing to global prosperity in the future, either within or outside their organizations.
2. A striking 97% recognize possibilities for contributing to global prosperity in the future, either within or outside their organizations.
Leaders are clearly voicing both a desire and a commitment to contribute positively to today’s economy, focusing on the needs of all stakeholders. As one CEO put it: “Any effort must be made by business leaders to get us back into a better situation.”
3. Geopolitical instability stands out as the foremost challenge facing CEOs and their organizations.
3. Geopolitical instability stands out as the foremost challenge facing CEOs and their organizations.
Close behind, they rank economic uncertainty, market disruption, talent development, and the impact of AI as extremely pressing.
4. Agility and adaptability have emerged as the bedrock of the new leadership paradigm.
4. Agility and adaptability have emerged as the bedrock of the new leadership paradigm.
CEOs now place these qualities at the heart of their strategy, with 59% viewing them as the most important currency for building organizational resilience and securing long-term success. As a result, CEOs feel dramatically better prepared for the complexity ahead than they did last year.
5. To make sense of the numerous challenges they are facing, CEOs are relying foremost on their executive teams, and next on their CEO peers.
5. To make sense of the numerous challenges they are facing, CEOs are relying foremost on their executive teams, and next on their CEO peers.
Just as in last year’s survey, they are finding less time to discuss these challenges with their executive boards or Chair.
6. Cultivating a culture of curiosity and open-mindedness remains the top skill CEOs point to for mastering today’s complexity.
6. Cultivating a culture of curiosity and open-mindedness remains the top skill CEOs point to for mastering today’s complexity.
There is clear recognition that there is no playbook to draw from. Years of rampant instability have become their school, shaping a generation of CEOs who are highly adaptable and learning as they lead.
Last year, CEOs told us they expected groundbreaking change ahead. This year they signal a clear intent to step forward and into it. The new CEO Response reveals a generation of leaders who are redefining success and setting a new standard for how organizations can thrive in these unpredictable times. They are certain that adaptability is key. The exciting question is how this adaptability is brought to life? We have some clues: forward momentum will be fueled by curiosity, openness, courage and experimentation, culture and team development and, above all, ongoing personal development. The way forward is clear, and CEOs are on the path.
