Disruptive change is happening, and more is coming. Is your organization ready?
This message echoes throughout the findings of our second annual Global Board Governance Survey, conducted by Protiviti, BoardProspects and Broadridge. Our results, based on a global survey of more than 1,800 board members and C-suite executives, reveal that organizations that consider themselves to be disruptive leaders see opportunities in a changing business landscape and operate differently compared to organizations that believe they are at risk of being disrupted.
Having the capabilities to embrace change at market speed engenders confidence in the C-suite and boardroom. Absent that, uncertainty increases and the quality and velocity of decision-making erode. Even during uncharacteristically placid stretches, disruptive leaders think about, plan for and invest in the building blocks that simultaneously strengthen their capabilities to disrupt and reduce the likelihood of being taken by surprise and disrupted.
Our key findings
- Business models will be changing — Over 75% of organizations expect major business model changes within three years.
- A strong majority of companies do not see themselves as disruptive leaders — Just 15% put themselves in the disruptive leader category.
- Disruptors see the world differently and are better prepared to embrace change — 77% of disruptive leaders are confident or highly confident in their ability to recognize, adapt and respond timely to disruptions, versus 28% of disruption laggards.
- How companies view generative AI is a litmus test of their propensity to disrupt — 72% of disruptive leaders view generative AI as providing a significant or moderate opportunity to be a disruptor, while more than 40% of organizations at risk of disruption see the technology as a disruption risk.
- A commitment to technology modernization is another distinctive indicator — 72% of disruptive leaders have a high level of confidence that they are modernizing their technology infrastructure at a sufficient pace to address disruption risks, versus 37% of all other organizations.
- Talent and culture are keys to being a disruptor and an agile responder to market events — 50% of disruption laggards view the lack of an innovative culture or talent to think creatively as a significant barrier to becoming a disruptor or becoming more agile in responding to disruption, versus 11% of disruptive leaders.
Our survey results suggest disruptive leaders outperform less disruptive competitors in developing innovative organizational cultures, inspiring their people to think creatively and overcoming resistance to change. Their go-to-market intention is clear: Deliver superior customer experiences through business model innovation; build the necessary skills, infrastructure and processes to launch and scale new products rapidly and effectively; and differentiate market offerings through significant pricing or quality advantage.
The executive summary, full report, infographic and other resources are available for complimentary download here. Protiviti is hosting a complimentary one-hour webinar on March 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST, to discuss the survey findings. Register for the webinar here.
