Leadership Link | August 2023

Welcome to this month's edition of Leadership Link! In this edition,?we share our 2023 Board Monitor Interactive Dashboard, a discussion of how leaders can improve development and retention by focusing on executive teams, how watching soccer can inspire business goal achievement, and delve into the newly released 2023 Skills Index report by Business Talent Group, our on-demand talent solution.

Sign up?here?to get the full edition of this newsletter in your inbox every month.

2023 Board Monitor Interactive Dashboard

This report is part of Heidrick & Struggles’ long-standing study of trends in board composition in countries worldwide. Produced by our global CEO & Board Practice, these reports track and analyze trends in non-executive director appointments to the boards of the largest publicly listed companies across 31 countries. Information about executives is gathered from publicly available sources, BoardEx, and a Heidrick & Struggles proprietary database.

Explore the interactive dashboard here.

Making leadership development a team sport

Companies are finding it ever harder to attract and retain the talent they need at any level, including leadership. A recent survey we conducted found that 76% of executives are very or entirely open to changing companies in the next one to three years. Retention, therefore, is key. And employees value career development opportunities: 92% of respondents to the same survey chose some option related to promotion or development as a tactic that would encourage them to stay. Companies, therefore, need to pay more attention than ever to developing the skills and capabilities of their current and potential future leaders. Building, leading, and participating in effective teams significantly differentiate the best leaders from the rest. Leadership development programs that invest in whole teams rather than individuals can give their companies an edge.

Read the full article here.

World Cup lessons for business leaders

As a professional soccer goalkeeper-turned-management consultant, Heidrick & Struggles' Kristin Luckenbill explores the striking parallels between the Women’s World Cup soccer tournament and business – and they go well beyond the obvious one of achieving goals. The World Cup provides a focused view of what it takes to be a high-performing organization. Business leaders can learn a lot by identifying what works for the most successful teams and where others go wrong.?

Read the article here.

What skills do companies need most today?

In today’s dynamic business environment, leading companies are exploring innovative solutions to address the challenges of the present and seize growth opportunities for the future. Increasingly, they’re relying on independent, on-demand talent marketplaces that offer safe, flexible, and cost-effective access to the specialized skills and expertise needed to thrive. Business Talent Group, a Heidrick & Struggles company, examines data on thousands of on-demand talent engagements from enterprise and mid-market companies, private equity firms, and global nonprofits to reveal the top on-demand talent skills business leaders are seeking in 2023.

Read the full report here.

For more insights like this, sign up for our monthly email newsletter here.