Preliminary results from our global 2020 Workforce survey show lackluster leadership at many companies. Executives cite a lack of adequate leadership as a major impediment to building a workforce to meet future business objectives, and only about half say leadership at their company has the skills to effectively manage talent.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, employees agree that leaders have much room for improvement. Fewer than half of employee respondents say leadership is equipped to lead the company to success, and many do not believe their leaders can lead a global, diverse workforce.

The workforce of the future will be increasingly diverse, mobile, multi-cultural, and multi-generational. To succeed, companies will have to cultivate leadership to effectively manage—and reap the full benefits of—these changes.