Leadership today demands more than meeting the current quarterly goals – this requires the future of the business to shape and its people often against the background of the challenging environment. Nevertheless, there are striking gaps between the skills that leaders require and are providing development organizations. According to DDI’s Europe Leadership Report 2025, leaders recognize the need for future-centric skills, but are not training in these areas.
According to research, 80% of the Human Resource Organizations in Europe are predicting an increase in the need for new leadership capabilities over the next five years. However, only 22% of Human Resource Organizations have given priority while addressing the top four most important skills intervals which have been recognized by the leaders themselves.
These skills are important in helping leaders to navigate change, support innovation and maintain business development – so what does it mean to the leaders, and how can the organization address this challenge?
Skill development for leaders is on the back-burner
There is no dearth of news that speculates on future skills problems in Europe, especially as generous AIs continue to change the world of work in sectors. But most of the human resource leaders have given priority to addressing important leadership skills in less than one-fourth time, despite predicting an increase in the need for new leadership abilities, which include:
- Setting Strategy: 55% of the leaders recognize it as necessary, yet only 13% have received training.
- Attached Employees: 55% consider it important, but only 15% have been developed in the region.
- Identification and development of future talent: 48% describe it as important, yet there is only 8% relevant development.
- Decision: 51% of leaders believe this is important, but only 14% have received training.
This is not just skill in which there is a lack of leaders; Less than a fifth of the leaders feels that they have enough time to fulfill their responsibilities at work. This highlights a significant failure in European organizations to support and protect the time and support development of leaders in European organizations.
Lack of time causes irritation between Europe leaders
Adequate training and lack of support for existing and new leaders can have even more worrying effects on Europe’s leadership talent, as Europe leadership report also highlights the increasing risk of tension and irritation among leaders in Europe. In fact, further data of the report shows that more than half of the leaders of Europe (54%) are experienced by a significant increase in stress since stepping into their current roles. Of these leaders, 72% are concerned about burnouts, and 40% have considered to leave the leadership roles as a complete result.
When the leaders are emphasized on the point of burnout, it creates a wave effect throughout the organizations that not only affects the current teams, but also the leadership pipeline, leaving the organizations at risk of fixing the talent of leadership when it is most needed when it is needed. The solution lies in how organizations support their leaders.
Organizations that invest in targeted skill development and give their leaders time and equipment to succeed are more likely to reduce burnouts within their teams. Organizations that reduce burnout rates are more likely to create a flexible leadership team that runs permanent business performances.
The burnout culture remains “dirty lymph secret” in many organizations so far. Everyone is feeling it, but no one wants to talk about it.
How companies successfully manage burnouts, directly affected by their leaders. Why? Often, it is the action of leaders who cause employees to either get close to burnouts or reach full burnout position.
Fortunately, leaders can establish a “new general” for themselves and their teams and can for example break the cycle of burnout through the leading. By actively promoting psychological security and priority environment, it normalizes a shared sense of healthy cooperation, creativity and purpose, where all employees feel recognized and valuable.
Supporting leaders to address burnout
While leaders can manage burnouts on their teams, they are still humans. Many of them are feeling the weight of burnouts at the same time. Often, they do not want to accept their own struggles for fear of being weak. As a result, their teams also do not want to accept their feelings, which means that issues are never resolved. Eventually, employees and leaders reach their limits and decide to leave, creating a burnout spiral.
Leaders are navigating a rapidly complex professional landscape, and their perspective to stress management reveals intensive insight into their leadership philosophy. According to the Europe Leadership Report, the top stress management strategies of the leaders are:
- Talk with the current manager (52%)
- Self image (51%)
This preference for manager consultation as primary stress management strategy is a powerful implication to prevent unwanted turnover. With more than half of the leaders for their managers for support, organizations have an initial-warning system-but only when the managers are equipped to react effectively.
For organizations, action is clear. By supporting leaders with individual, insight -powered development, they can not only reduce the risk of burnout within leadership teams, but also in the entire organization. Employees are not only maintaining top talent, giving priority to satisfaction and goodness – they are ready to grow loyal, busy teams and grow together for a long race.
Bruce Wat at DDI, Senior VP, by Europe, India and Australia.