CEO faith in C-suite slips amid future readiness concerns

Yet the firm’s recent data show that confidence is not moving in the right direction. For CEOs specifically, the picture is mixed but still troubling. 

“CEO confidence in the C-suite continues to decline, though the underlying reasons aren’t as straightforward as one might think,” the report reads.

Future readiness under pressure

The steepest slide has come in perceptions of “future readiness,” one of four core dimensions tracked by the index, alongside core capability, strategic acumen, and purpose and values.

Russell Reynolds defines future readiness as whether the C-suite effectively embraces digital transformation, adapts to changing working expectations, reskills the workforce for the future, and embraces change.

Across the survey period, the C-suite’s Future Readiness scores have dropped to 64.0 in 2025, down from the 75.1 peak in 2021, with an average fall of 2.8 points annually.