Global Succession Readiness: Statistics and Trends
The Global Succession Readiness Picture - Not So Good Looking Actually
Despite widespread acknowledgment of its strategic importance, only about 20% of organizations worldwide report high confidence in their leadership succession pipelines.
This figure, while a modest improvement from the pandemic-era low of 11% in 2020, underscores a persistent vulnerability: 80% of organizations remain unprepared for seamless leadership transitions.
DANGER AHEAD: Lack Of Succession Readiness Worldwide
- Only 35% of companies have formal succession plans (Deloitte, iMocha, AIHR).
- Only 28% of CEO successions are planned; the rest are reactive or unplanned (Heidrick & Struggles, Sci-Tech Today).
- Only 20% of HR professionals express confidence in their bench strength (DDI GLF 2025).
- Almost 77% of organizations report insufficient leadership depth (Sci-Tech Today).
- These statistics reveal a global landscape where succession planning is often deprioritized, under-resourced, or limited in scope, leaving organizations exposed to disruption, talent loss, and strategic drift during leadership transitions.
