SHL Global Leadership Study, US Ranks 5th for Potential Leadership

According to the global leader in talent measurement solutions, SHL, the U.S. ranks 5^th in the world in its Global Leadership study for the first time. The study provided a worldwide view of leadership potential as it identified the top 25 countries with the greatest supply of potential leaders relative to its workforce. Data was analyzed from more than one million people from SHL’s global Talent Analytics™ database. Although the US currently ranks in the top five, the study showed the  nation risks a declining position as corporate globalization outpaces leadership identification and development programs, at home and abroad.

Based off the study’s results, the scope of leadership potential changes significantly when evaluating the supply of leadership talent for tomorrow. The greatest source of potential future leaders were Mexico, Turkey, Egypt, Switzerland, and Brazil, yet, contrastingly, the UK drops 18 places, booting the country out of the top 20, and Hong Kong falls from pole position to 20^th. Mexico and Brazil jump 19 and 21 places respectively, as Mexico tops the table.

“While the study suggests a moderate slide in US rank from 5 today to 8 tomorrow – the bigger issue is the risk of falling into a steady declining trend in our supply of leaders, especially as domestic-based companies continue to expand internationally to compete in the global economy,” explained Caroline Paxman, president of the Americas for SHL. “In order to survive, no less grow, US companies need to employ programs to better identify leaders of the future – and become more competent in analyzing and sourcing international talent pools to find them.”

SHL provided five guidelines to cultivate leadership success across an organization:

1. Make It a Priority

2. Look Beyond Performance

3. Replace Subjectivity with Objectivity

4. Be Pragmatic Proactive

5. Cast a Wider Net

To see the study results and five guidelines click here.