When a Promotion Loses Its Appeal
Leadership roles are increasingly seen as stressful and unattractive. A recent analysis by Hogan Assessments shows that executive engagement is declining worldwide while pressure is mounting—with far-reaching consequences for corporate succession planning.
For decades, the career ladder held an unspoken promise: Those who work hard will be promoted—and then enjoy the benefits of a leadership role. Today, this promise is becoming increasingly tenuous. This is demonstrated by a recent analysis from Hogan Assessments, the world’s leading provider of workplace personality assessments and leadership consulting.
According to Gallup’s latest international workplace study, executive engagement worldwide has dropped from 27 to 22 percent. Younger and female leaders have been particularly affected. At the same time, leaders report significantly higher stress levels, greater emotional strain, and a higher burnout rate than many of their subordinates.
Leadership Roles: Reward or Burden?
Today, middle management is seen as the glue that holds companies together—while also facing pressure from all sides. Managers are expected to boost overall performance, implement operational changes, promote employee well-being, navigate hybrid work models, and help their teams find their footing amid AI-driven transformation.
«The traditional career ladder was designed for a different era of work,» says Allison Howell, CEO of Hogan Assessments. «Today, many people associate leadership roles with constant change, competing priorities, and increasing responsibility—without necessarily finding greater fulfillment as a result. Companies need to understand why leadership roles are becoming less and less attractive and what that means for the future of succession planning at the executive level.»
Meanwhile, global employee engagement has fallen for the second year in a row, reaching its lowest level since 2020. As employees feel less and less connected to their workplaces, leadership positions are also losing their appeal as career milestones.
Crisis of Confidence at the Executive Level
Findings from the International Study on Leadership Effectiveness suggest that employees have not only changed their minds about who should lead—but also about what leadership should look like. The study reveals a significant discrepancy between the traits that leaders typically exhibit and the qualities that employees value most in their supervisors. There is no overlap whatsoever between the top five traits identified by each group.
Rather than charisma, transparency, or ambition, employees prioritize the fundamentals above all else: Nearly 98 percent cite communication as essential for effective leadership, and over 96 percent value trust, integrity, accountability, and sound decision-making. At the same time, 72 percent believe that emotional volatility undermines leadership effectiveness, and nearly half of those surveyed feel that leaders should place greater emphasis on teamwork, relationships, and a sense of belonging.
«The qualities that lead to employees being promoted aren’t always the qualities that make them successful leaders,» Howell said. «Instead of rewarding confidence and transparency alone, employees are calling for a different kind of leadership: one built on communication, trust, accountability, and common sense.»
The leadership shortage has already begun
The question companies must ask themselves today is no longer whether they can develop leaders. Rather, the crucial question is whether there are still enough people willing to take on leadership roles at all. As fewer and fewer employees seek leadership roles, significant problems loom in succession planning—especially as experienced leaders retire and companies undergo continuous change.
Combined with rising burnout rates among executives, declining employee engagement, and increasing complexity in the workplace, this trend raises important questions about how companies can find, develop, and nurture the leaders of tomorrow.
«Instead of treating a promotion as the logical next step, companies should rethink career paths as a whole,» Howell concludes. «For many generations, a promotion was considered the universal definition of a successful career. But employees are becoming more selective. They ask a simple question: If a leadership role means more pressure, more complexity, and less support, why would I want the job? Companies that can’t answer this question may find that their leadership pipeline shrinks year after year.»
Source: https://www.hoganassessments.com
