Training Leaders for Tomorrow

New York, NY, September 5, 2023 — A new Ipsos survey on behalf of GE, run with 250+ C-suite executives and 400+ entry level staff in the US, finds a misalignment between how these C-suite and entry level employees see leadership principles being embodied and communicated by their company’s leadership team.A strong majority in this survey (95%, C-suite; 81%, entry level) believe it is important that a leadership mindset is communicated to all staff and nearly 3 in 4 (72%) say their company currently has a clearly defined leadership mindset. Trustworthiness, intelligence, and vision are named as key characteristics for highly effective business leaders. However, there is a divide on how important certain characteristics are for a CEO to embody to successfully lead, namely humility (18%, C-suite; 28%, entry level).

Results demonstrate that these employees aren’t seeing leaders walk the walk. 88% of C-suite respondents vs only 59% of entry level respondents say their company’s executive team embodies its leadership mindset every day. Additionally, a strong majority (90%) of C-suite executives surveyed say their company supports the development of strong leaders, but fewer (68%) entry level employees feel the same.

Showing and communicating about the company’s leadership mindset is critical, but these entry level employees are less likely to feel their executive team effectively communicates its impact, with only 62% agreeing, compared to 85% of C-suite executives. Meanwhile, the vast majority (80%) of entry level employees say leadership training is a meaningful benefit and about half (56%) of entry level respondents who learned about the company’s leadership mindset prior to joining say it influenced their decision to join. Regardless of when leadership mindset is communicated, open and respectful internal communications are critical to supporting staff along their leadership journey.

"Establish open and transparent lines of communication with the ability to exchange ideas, share ideas and ask questions with leadership."

– Entry Level Employee

When companies do it right, everyone reaps the benefits. Entry level employees who understand their company’s leadership mindset are more likely to say their company is on the right track, say their company is ahead of others, or consider themselves company “promoters.”

"Strong personal and organizational principles keeps the company grounded, focused and therefore best able to navigate extreme uncertainties."

– C-suite Executive

About the Study

These are the findings of a GE/Ipsos poll conducted between July 17 – August 1, 2023. For this survey, a sample of 253 C-suite executives and 411 entry level employees ages 18+ from the United States were interviewed in English. To qualify, respondents needed to have a current job title of Entry Level or C-Suite/Executive Leadership within a B2B, B2C or both B2B/B2C company, and describe their number of employees as 1-499 (Small and Midsize Business), or 500+ (Large Enterprise). The sample includes 410 B2B respondents (B2B only + both B2B/B2C), 437 B2C respondents (B2C only + both B2B/B2C), 350 small and midsize business respondents, and 314 large enterprise respondents from the United States.

Overall, the study’s sample does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. No post-hoc weights were applied to the data and the findings reflect the opinion of these respondents. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Ellen Bartlett
Senior Vice President
[email protected]

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