New research reveals the hidden reality of leadership

While much of the conversation about leadership continues to focus on AI, transformation and future skills, new research from Ivy House suggests organisations may be facing a hidden risk to their future leadership pipeline. While leaders remain committed, many describe carrying a growing burden of unseen work that organisations rarely measure, recognise or support.

The research, which will be unveiled for the first time at Learning Live 2026 by Ivy House CEO Natalie Benjamin and Director of Design & Delivery Neil Trevena, explores the gap between the visible aspects of leadership and what leaders are actually carrying behind the scenes. Drawing on original research with leaders, employees and HR professionals, the findings reveal a form of leadership work that is rarely visible in organisational dashboards, performance measures or succession plans.

Rather than simply delivering results, leaders increasingly describe themselves as creating clarity amid uncertainty, helping teams stay focused amidst competing demands, sustaining confidence through change and navigating the human realities that accompany an increasingly complex world of work. The research suggests that much of the work that enables teams to perform happens out of sight.

According to Natalie Benjamin, CEO of Ivy House:

"Organisations rightly focus on outcomes. But what fascinates us from our research is what sits beneath them. The conversations, judgement calls, emotional courage and daily human work that rarely make the scorecard, yet ultimately shape performance."

The research also points to a future leadership pipeline that may be more fragile than many organisations realise. The challenge is not simply whether leaders can perform today, but whether enough people will continue choosing leadership tomorrow if the realities of the role are not better understood and supported.

This has significant implications for HR and L&D leaders, as organisations risk overlooking the conditions that make effective leadership sustainable over time.

Neil Trevena, Director of Design & Delivery at Ivy House, said:

"One of the most thought-provoking questions from the research is whether organisations have fully recognised how leadership itself has changed. Many of the leaders we spoke to are operating in conditions that require them to absorb complexity, navigate ambiguity and support others through constant change. Nearly half said that succeeding in their role comes at a great personal cost, depleting the basics that make good leadership possible: sleep, energy, wellbeing and emotional bandwidth. Those demands call for a different conversation about how leaders are developed and supported."

Neil and Natalie will be running a session on 17th September at Learning Live to reveal key insights from the research. The session will offer attendees an exclusive first look at the findings, including:

• Why the reality of leadership often differs from the narrative surrounding it
• The hidden work leaders do to help teams thrive through uncertainty
• The potential implications for leadership pipelines and succession
• The mindsets and capabilities associated with effective leadership today
• What organisations may need to rethink about leadership development and support

Attendees will also have the opportunity to collect a copy of the full research report and meet the Ivy House team, who will be available throughout the conference to discuss the findings and their implications for leadership development. Those unable to attend the session can register their interest in receiving a copy of the report ahead of its official release via the Ivy House website: https://www.ivyhouse.co.uk/leadership-research 

About the research

The findings are based on original research conducted by Human Dynamics Research on behalf of Ivy House London. The study was designed to explore how the role of leaders is changing, the capabilities that matter most in today’s environment, and how well organisations are equipping leaders to apply them in practice.

The research included 18 interviews with leaders identified by their organisations as top performers, spanning front-line, middle-management and senior leadership roles across sectors including manufacturing, finance, technology, retail, industrial services and non-profit. It also included insights from a roundtable with senior HR and talent leaders, plus survey data from 500 respondents across the UK, US and Europe, including HR/L&D directors, senior leaders, front-line leaders and employees in organisations with 250 or more employees.

About Ivy House

Ivy House is a leadership and talent development business helping organisations build the human capabilities leaders need to perform, grow and thrive in today’s world.

Contact

Bryony Don
[email protected]