Global leaders are suffering a confidence crisis – here’s what HR needs to know

Global leaders are suffering from a crisis of confidence, according to a study from Strengthscope which surveyed more than 1,200 executives from the UK, US and Europe.

Strengthscope’s research looked at 16 behaviors that contribute to effective leadership – the results were then compared with how other teams, peers and managers rated them. 

Leaders were found to particularly lack confidence in courage, strategic mindedness, compassion and self-improvement compared to how their teams rated them.

To understand what this means for HR leaders, UNLEASH spoke exclusively to Dr Paul Brewerton, Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Founder, Strengthscope, to learn more.

How can HR help to grow leader’s confidence?

According to the study, the gap between how leaders rate the effectiveness of their leadership skills, compared to their team’s perception of them, has increased by 75% since 2019. 

For Dr Brewerton, this shows a clear disconnect between how well leaders think they’re performing, compared to how their team actually perceives their performance since the pandemic.

Consequently, the perception gap between leaders and their teams has widened, which suggests a drop in self-belief by leaders, which Dr Brewerton notes could point towards imposter syndrome.

“Leaders are feeling less confident and less effective in their roles than their colleagues see them as being,” he adds. “Interestingly, whilst they have scored themselves highest on behaviors related to sparking engagement, they rate themselves lowest on skillful execution – the ability to deliver a plan based on their vision.” 

This was found to be a business-wide issue – not just one restricted to business leaders.

When we look at their [leaders] teams, their biggest struggle is giving each other constructive feedback,” Dr Brewerton shares.

“What this suggests is a broader issue: a lack of open, honest dialogue within organizations. 

“If leaders aren’t getting enough feedback, and their teams struggle to provide it, how can businesses ensure they are operating efficiently with a happy and engaged workforce?”

For Dr Brewerton, there’s one simple solution that can help leaders overcome this barrier: Making feedback a habit. 

He advises that leaders should “regularly seek input” from colleagues, teams and other stakeholders, to not only gain a more accurate perspective of their strengths but to also assess how effective they are. 

“It’s not enough for leaders to know their strengths; they must be aware of how visible those strengths are to their teams and if they are being used effectively,” he concludes.

“The ability to seek, receive and act on feedback isn’t a skill that is exclusively for leadership roles – it’s a business essential. 

“Leaders and their teams must work in tandem to foster a culture where constructive feedback is valued and exchanged openly. This is key in bridging the perception gap.”