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Relevance Leadership Survey 2025

What Organizations Worldwide Reveal About Future-Proof Leadership

New research introduces Needs-Driven Leadership — a framework for balancing four critical dimensions (Performance, People, Progress, Principles) that separates the most effective organizations from the rest.

12+ sectors Global study
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In November 2025, Relevance conducted a global qualitative study into the state of leadership — with respondents from national and international organizations across more than a dozen sectors. The findings are interpreted through the Needs-Driven Leadership framework — a practical model grounded in a meta-analysis of 82 leadership theories by Prof. Dr. Hannes Leroy at RSM Erasmus University. It helps leaders determine where to direct their efforts based on what the organization actually needs, not what feels comfortable or familiar.

At its core, the framework maps leadership across four dimensions: Performance, People, Progress, and Principles. The goal isn't to maximize each one individually — it's to balance them dynamically, responding to context rather than defaulting to autopilot.

Scroll through the findings below to see how the leadership shape shifts across different scenarios — and where the balance breaks down.

At a Glance

Four findings that summarize the leadership gap

3/5

Average score respondents give their senior leaders on navigating all four dimensions.

60%

Of organizations lean toward Performance under pressure — only 15% lean toward People.

48%

Name People as the dimension that most needs development for the future.

4%

Rate their leaders as highly effective at balancing the 4Ps.

Scroll to explore how the balance shifts scenario by scenario — or see the methodology.

The 4P Compass How organizations rank the 4Ps

Performance Results & execution People Relationships & care Progress Innovation & change Principles Values & ethics — — — —
Organization emphasis Low  →  High emphasis
Daily Practice

Performance dominates. Principles trail behind.

When organizations rank the 4Ps by actual emphasis in day-to-day leadership, Performance consistently takes the top spot. Principles trails at the bottom — a signal that ethics and values routinely lose out to execution.

Notice how the shape pulls upward toward Performance and collapses on the Principles side — the visual signature of a rank order that prioritizes results over values.

#1
Performance
ranked highest
#4
Principles
ranked lowest
Under Pressure

In crisis, leaders reach for Performance

A leader's default becomes most visible under pressure. During organizational stress, 60% steer toward Performance — including 19% who focus exclusively on KPIs and short-term results.

Only 15% lean toward People at all — with just 6% focusing exclusively on people-first. Watch the People axis nearly disappear from the shape.

60%
lean toward
Performance
15%
lean toward
People
"In times of crisis, anything seems acceptable as long as it helps deliver the numbers. But the real damage shows over time." — Respondent, Retail Sector
The Toxic Performer

Results trump behavior — 1 in 5 look the other way

The classic test: a top performer delivers results but damages team morale. 45% of organizations lean toward tolerating the behavior. 1 in 5 explicitly state leaders overlook it as long as goals are met.

Only 13% would prioritize team health at the risk of losing results.

45%
tolerate
the behavior
13%
prioritize
team health
Progress vs. Principles

Speed wins over stability

Now we shift to the other axis. When a disruptive market opportunity challenges established procedures, 54% choose Progress — pursuing speed and innovation even at the cost of instability.

Only 5% say procedures always come first. Watch the shape rotate: the tension now runs left-right instead of top-bottom.

54%
lean toward
Progress
5%
would miss
the opportunity
The Closest Call

Ethics: where the balance almost holds

Faced with an ethically ambiguous opportunity, the results are more nuanced. 41% lean toward Progress to capture the market, while 36% prioritize Principles and reputation.

This is the most evenly distributed scenario in the entire study. The shape approaches the balanced diamond — but contextual leadership is still the exception.

41%
lean toward
Progress
36%
lean toward
Principles
The Central Paradox

They see the problem. They perpetuate it anyway.

When asked which dimension needs the most development for the future, 48% say People — nearly five times more than Performance (10%).

The shape flips completely: now People dominates. Organizations know where the gap is. But as you just saw in every pressure scenario, they keep defaulting to Performance.

48%
say People needs
most development
10%
say
Performance
"We invest heavily in systems and processes, but we tend to forget about the human behind the employee." — Respondent, Dutch Public Sector

Senior Leadership Effectiveness: Room for Growth

When asked to rate how effectively their senior leaders navigate the tensions between all four dimensions, respondents are candid: the average score is just 3 out of 5. Nearly a quarter of organizations lack sufficient confidence in their leaders' ability to manage these trade-offs. Only 4% rate their leaders as highly effective.

This appears to reflect not a lack of intent, but rather the absence of a practical framework and the skills needed to consciously adapt to different demands.

The Central Paradox

Organizations acknowledge that People needs the most development for the future (48%), yet the most common leadership derailment comes from overemphasizing Performance at the expense of People (48%). They see the problem. They perpetuate it anyway — especially when the pressure rises.

The Challenges of Tomorrow

There is no clear consensus on the most pressing leadership challenges for the next five years, but several recurring themes stand out: managing AI and technological change, keeping employees motivated and engaged, attracting and retaining talent, developing high-quality leaders, and avoiding short-term thinking.

"The challenge is to retain good people while leaders continue to learn and do not assume they automatically have all the answers."

— Respondent, Manufacturing Sector

Moving Forward: From Awareness to Lasting Change

The survey data points to a concerning pattern: while organizations recognize the importance of developing People, they tend to fall back on a one-sided focus on Performance when pressure rises. In doing so, they reinforce the very imbalance they themselves identify as their greatest leadership challenge.

Needs-Driven Leadership offers a way through this paradox by enabling leaders to respond to context rather than defaulting to autopilot. At its core lies a simple but powerful question: What does this organization — or this team — truly need right now?

The first step toward improvement is recognizing this tension. Only 4% of respondents rate their senior leaders as highly effective in navigating the four dimensions of leadership. This points to the need for both a clear framework and the practical ability to respond consciously to the changing needs of the organization and its people.

Diagnose Your Leadership Balance

Take the free interactive assessment to see where your organization stands on the 4Ps — or download the full research whitepaper.

Take the Diagnostic → Download Whitepaper

About the research: In November 2025, Relevance conducted a global qualitative leadership survey with national and international organizations across more than a dozen sectors. Respondents included senior leaders, HR professionals, and L&D specialists. This is an exploratory, hypothesis-generating study: the findings are intended to surface patterns and spark dialogue, not to serve as a statistically representative basis for normative conclusions. Full methodology is available in the whitepaper.

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