Are we asking too much of leaders, or too little of the systems around them?

Business leaders are increasingly being asked to achieve the impossible, navigating mounting expectations, growing uncertainty and high-stakes decisions without the organisational support they need to succeed, according to new research from Manifesto Growth.

The UK's leading growth consultancy consulted 100 C-suite leaders, including through an anonymous survey, to explore the challenges facing modern leadership. The research found that:

• 55% of CEOs frequently or consistently feel leadership has become materially more demanding.

• 61% frequently or consistently make decisions with incomplete information.

• 64% feel fully at their best only sometimes or occasionally.

• 87% have focused on in-year numbers at the expense of measures that support sustained growth.

• 87% have allowed short-term pressure to take priority before a credible vision was in place.

• 70% have built a series of one-year plans instead of a three-to-five-year plan.

Success does not eliminate insecurity.

The findings challenge any assumptions that seniority brings certainty. 53% of respondents have told their board what they believed it wanted to hear, 52% fear being moved on at least occasionally, and given a choice, 60% would prioritise peace of mind over power.

The report also identifies a significant support gap. 73% said their organisation did not invest as seriously in their success as it did in recruiting them, and 24% no investment at all during their first two years in role.

The research also reveals a gap between the confidence leaders project and how they feel behind closed doors. On average, leaders say they feel just 70% of the confidence they project, while 78% have avoided asking a question because they felt they should already know the answer. A further 79% have claimed to understand something before privately checking it, including with AI.

This research exposes a systemic contradiction: the leadership environment has become more complex, yet the prevailing model of support given to leaders rests on the assumption that they have all the answers and expertise when they arrive. As a consequence, the research shows that today's leaders are seeking trusted allies, with experience, perspective and expertise, beyond the confines of their organisation to support them.

Indeed, 76% want someone who shares experience, 73% want someone who thinks alongside them, and 52% want someone who makes it safe to say what they would never say to their board.

Pressure has not eclipsed pride 

Despite the new challenges, 63% of respondents frequently or consistently feel genuine pride in a decision or outcome. This shows that, despite the weight of the role, leaders remain deeply invested in delivering.

The future of leadership, reveals the report, is about navigating uncertainty while building the confidence, capability and resilience that allow the wider organisation to grow. Rather than expecting individual leaders to have every answer, organisations must rethink the structures, expectations and support around them to enable better decision-making, adaptability and sustained growth.

Nick Smith, Co-Founder and Partner, Manifesto Growth Architects, said: "For generations, business was built on an assumption of relative stability. You could set a direction, build a plan, organise the right capabilities behind it and mobilise your people to deliver. Change was something organisations could, within reason, plan for and respond to before finding their footing again.

"But change no longer waits for organisations to catch up. Competitors are emerging from unexpected places, technology is advancing rapidly and creating unforeseen challenges, and geopolitical and economic shifts can alter strategies overnight. It is no longer enough to set a direction and lead people towards it. Modern leaders must create forward motion while the ground beneath them continually shifts.

"The question is not how to restore certainty, but how to build the confidence, capability and organisational resilience to move forward without it."

About the research

The report from Manifesto Growth Architects draws on insights from 100 CEOs and C-suite leaders, including through an anonymous survey, to explore the realities of modern leadership beyond the boardroom. The research examines where leaders feel confident, the challenges they face, the pressures they experience and where they turn for support.

Anonymity allowed participants to speak candidly about the realities of leadership, revealing experiences and concerns that might otherwise go unspoken.

These findings were complemented by desk research spanning leadership, organisational change and transformation, drawing on perspectives from practitioners, authors, academics and leaders, alongside Manifesto Growth Architects' own experience supporting organisations through change.

About Manifesto Growth Architects

Every business wants to grow. Few are built to make it happen.

Manifesto is the Growth Architecture™ consultancy. Both a philosophy and a system, it's built on the belief that sustainable growth doesn't happen by chance. It takes a whole-business approach to design it, build for it and make it happen.

We partner with ambitious business leaders to unlock sustainable, customer-led growth - from scale-ups looking to accelerate, to established businesses seeking expansion, and those facing headwinds that demand a strategic reset.

We've been recognised by the Financial Times as the UK's leading independent consultancy for Innovation, Growth and New Business Models for eight consecutive years, as voted for by our clients. Based in London, Manifesto has partnered with brands including Post Office, Disney, Mars, Wagamama, Merlin Entertainments and Tate.