Companies are struggling with the rise of  AI, high levels of employee burnout, and managing hybrid teams. Now, there’s a new challenge: no one wants to be a leader. 

According to DDI’s 2025 HR Insights report, based on a survey of 2,185 HR professionals and 10,796 leaders, 75% of companies prioritize promoting employees to leadership roles from within. However, less than 20% of Chief Human Resource Officers say they actually have employees who are ready to fill critical leadership roles. On average, there are only enough internal candidates to fill less than half (49%) of open leadership positions.

Going forward, it looks like the leadership vacuum is likely to get worse. According to the report, Gen Z is 1.4 times more likely than other generations to reject a leadership role. At the same time, Gen Z is also 2.8 times more likely to quit a job because of subpar leadership.

However, as Fast Company contributor Tracey Brower

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