Research Brief
Leadership development statistics for organizations and teams.
Eight current statistics on manager engagement, workforce skills, and leadership demand. Each figure links to its original source so leaders, writers, and researchers can check the evidence directly.
Last updated October 22, 2026
At a glance
Leadership capability is now a workforce issue.
Organizations are asking managers to lead through changing skills, larger responsibilities, and pressure to keep teams connected to the work. The data below brings together current, public evidence on the conditions shaping that challenge.
These figures are useful context, not a substitute for understanding one organization’s people, priorities, and operating environment. Source dates are shown beside every statistic because the evidence should be as clear as the number.
20%
of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025.
Gallup reports that 64% were not engaged and 16% were actively disengaged. The measure is global, not a benchmark for every organization or industry.
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026 ↗Data collected in 2025, report published April 202622%
of managers globally were engaged in 2025.
Gallup reports this was down from 27% in 2024. The figure points to pressure on the people who set daily direction, feedback, and expectations for teams.
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026 ↗Data collected in 2025, report published April 202670%
of the variance in team-level engagement is attributable to managers.
Gallup identifies managers as the strongest influence on whether team members are engaged, which makes manager capability a practical organizational priority.
Gallup, Employee Experience: Strategies for Improvement ↗Accessed October 202623%
higher profitability for top-quartile engaged teams, compared with bottom-quartile teams.
In Gallup's 2024 meta-analysis of 183,806 teams, top-quartile teams also showed 18% higher sales productivity and 14% higher production productivity.
Gallup, The Science of High-Performing Teams ↗2024 meta-analysis, page accessed October 202639%
of workers' existing skill sets are expected to be transformed or outdated by 2030.
The World Economic Forum reports this expected change across its 2025 to 2030 employer outlook, underscoring the need to develop both technical and human capabilities.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025 ↗Published January 202563%
of employers identify skills gaps as a major barrier to business transformation.
The World Economic Forum's survey reflects the views of more than 1,000 employers across 55 economies and 22 industry clusters.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025 ↗Published January 202585%
of surveyed employers expect to prioritize workforce upskilling through 2030.
The same World Economic Forum report names upskilling as the most common workforce strategy in response to major economic and technological shifts.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025 ↗Published January 2025320,800
average annual openings are projected for U.S. general and operations managers from 2023 to 2033.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5.8% employment growth for this occupation over the same period, reflecting sustained demand for experienced operational leadership.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Career Outlook ↗2023 to 2033 projections, published 2025Methodology and sources
How to use this reference.
This page uses publicly available figures from primary research organizations and government data. Statistics are reproduced with their source date and linked to the underlying publication or data summary. Global figures should be read as global context. U.S. labor projections should be read as projections, not guarantees.
We will keep the page’s URL and statistic anchors stable as sources are refreshed. When a source publishes newer data, the relevant statistic, source date, and last-updated date will be reviewed together.
Cite this page
Wealth Building Academy, LLC. “Leadership Development Statistics: Manager Engagement, Skills and Workforce Trends.” Updated October 22, 2026. https://wealthbuildingacademyllc.com/leadership-development-statistics
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