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This new report by DDI shares findings from its Global Leadership Forecast 2025, the largest and longest-running global study on leadership. Based on a survey of 11,000 global leaders—including 2,000 HR professionals—the 25-page report highlights 10 key insights, each with a “where to focus” section outlining potential actions. A key finding concerns the retention risk of high-potential (HiPo) individual contributors. While HiPo leaders’ departure intentions have remained steady the past few years at 10%, HiPo individual contributors show a sharp rise—from 13% in 2020 to 21% in 2024. These employees were nearly four times more likely to leave if their manager didn’t provide regular growth opportunities. As we approach the second month of the year, many workers—HiPos and beyond—are reassessing their employment, especially with upcoming bonus payouts that could trigger departures. To help managers proactively identify and act on critical retention risks, I’m resharing my template, which prompts key questions: Is this person a high performer? A high-potential? Do they hold a critical role? How would their departure impact the organization? Managers can list employees, check relevant criteria, and determine any follow-up actions to mitigate retention risk. While templates aren’t necessary, simple tools like this can help managers thoughtfully evaluate retention risk and take action where needed.
