FleishmanHillard Unveils ‘License to Lead’ Research, Revealing a Growing Confidence Gap Between Executives and Stakeholders
New global survey finds stakeholder confidence and leadership credibility increasingly shape how much latitude companies have to drive strategy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — January 13, 2026 — As geopolitical volatility, technological disruption, and social scrutiny reshape the business landscape, new global research from FleishmanHillard finds that the central leadership challenge is no longer simply setting strategy. It is maintaining the confidence and permission needed to execute when strategies must evolve.
“Uncertainty is no longer episodic. It is the operating environment,” said Rachel Catanach, Senior Partner and Global Managing Director, Corporate Affairs, at FleishmanHillard. “What this research shows is that stakeholders understand why companies need to adapt. But they are also raising the bar on how leaders communicate, align, and explain those decisions.”
The research, titled ‘License to Lead,’ is based on a global survey of 5,550 respondents, including 1,550 business and political leaders and 4,000 engaged consumers, executed by FleishmanHillard’s TRUE Global Intelligence. The findings reveal a growing gap between how leaders assess their own performance and how stakeholders experience corporate leadership during periods of change.
“Trust is dead. When change is constant, stakeholder support is built through how leaders explain decisions, align internally, and show accountability in real time,” said Michael Moroney, Senior Partner and Managing Director, Corporate Affairs, The Americas.
Key findings include:
- Unpredictability is now the norm, and adaptability is viewed as a defining leadership skill. Eighty-four percent of engaged consumers and 82 percent of policymakers agree that the business environment is more unpredictable and disruptive than it was three years ago. More than half of engaged consumers (51 percent) say the ability to adapt quickly will matter most for business leaders’ success over the next decade.
- Stakeholders accept strategic change, but expectations of leadership behavior have risen. Compared to a few years ago, about half of engaged consumers report higher expectations for companies to act with customers in mind (52 percent), do the right thing (50 percent), and balance the needs of multiple stakeholders (47 percent). More than 90 percent say confidence in leadership depends on clear strategy communication, consistent messaging, transparency around difficult decisions, genuine engagement, and accountability.
- Executives and stakeholders view corporate readiness very differently. Nearly half of business and policy leaders express high optimism in large companies’ ability to address major challenges. By contrast, only 20 percent of engaged consumers are very optimistic about companies’ ability to do so. Fewer than one in five believe corporate leaders will act in society’s best interests or are well prepared for future disruption.
- Erosion of confidence has direct commercial consequences. Almost all engaged consumers (98 percent) say they are paying close attention to whether companies follow through on commitments. When confidence is lost, 58 percent report stopping or significantly reducing spending, 50 percent switch to a competitor, and 40 percent privately advise others against the company.
- Integrity and accountability now outweigh competence alone. When asked what gives a company the “right to lead” during periods of change, engaged consumers rank demonstrated ethical behavior (24 percent) and clear, consistent communication (21 percent) highest. While executives believe leaders frequently display integrity and accountability, engaged consumers rate performance roughly half as high, revealing a meaningful perception gap.
A New Executive Playbook
The findings point to a leadership model that is both urgently needed and largely within organizations’ control. Companies that retain the confidence to move through uncertainty simplify their strategic narrative, enforce leadership alignment, communicate consistently, explain the rationale behind difficult decisions, and engage stakeholders without relying on broad or aspirational shortcuts.
“When these conditions are met, reputation becomes an enabling force rather than a constraint,” said Catanach. “Stakeholders are more willing to grant leaders the latitude to adapt, absorb uncertainty, and continue moving forward even when outcomes are not fully known.”
The research also underscores the evolving role of corporate affairs as an integrated leadership infrastructure. High-performing organizations rely on corporate affairs to translate complexity into clarity, anticipate friction, and understand where stakeholders will grant flexibility and where limits remain.
As disruption becomes an enduring condition rather than a temporary shock, the study concludes that leadership success will depend less on minimizing change and more on sustaining legitimacy while managing it.
About the Research
The ‘License to Lead‘ study was conducted by FleishmanHillard’s Global Executive Advisory and True Global Intelligence teams. The global survey includes 5,550 respondents across multiple markets, comparing the perspectives of 1,550 business and political leaders and 4,000 engaged consumers.
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Elana Sindelar works in FleishmanHillard’s 