The Great Executive Exodus: 60% of Leaders Are Planning Their Exit

The numbers reveal a leadership crisis hiding in plain sight.

New research shows that nearly 60% of executives plan to change roles within the next three years. Even more striking: two-thirds intend to leave their current company entirely. This isn't gradual turnover, it's a mass executive migration that will reshape the leadership landscape.

What's driving this unprecedented mobility? The data points to three critical factors:

30% of departing executives cite the need to develop new skills as their primary motivation. Organizations that fail to invest in leadership development are inadvertently pushing their best talent toward the door.

One in three newly appointed executives lacks confidence in their ability to perform in their first year. This suggests that companies are promoting talent without adequate preparation or support systems.

The skill requirements for leadership have fundamentally shifted. Technical expertise is no longer enough. Soft skills like collaboration, strategic thinking, and communication; now top the list of must-have capabilities, alongside AI and digital fluency.

In my executive search practice across Thailand and Asia, this trend creates both opportunity and risk. For search professionals, it represents the largest executive mobility event in recent history. For organizations, it signals an urgent need to rethink succession planning and leadership development.

The winners will be companies that can simultaneously retain their best leaders through meaningful development opportunities while building robust pipelines to replace those who do leave. The losers will find themselves scrambling to fill critical positions in an increasingly competitive market.

How is your organization preparing for this executive mobility surge? Are you building the leadership bench strength to thrive when talent inevitably moves?