What’s trending, for CEOs

What do top CEOs say will be the biggest trends affecting their business this year? Disruptive digital technologies, geopolitics, and the economy, according to results of McKinsey’s CEO Excellence Survey. Senior partner Carolyn Dewar and colleagues also note that areas such as supply chain disruptions are expected to have less of an influence on business in 2023.

Top CEOs identify disruptive technology, the economy, and geopolitics as the most important trends to act on in 2023.

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A series of nine boxes is displayed, with each box containing circles, representing a total of 100%. The boxes show the results of 73 CEOs polled on which trends will have the greatest effect on how they lead their organizations. The boxes are ordered in 3 rows, with high impact at the top, medium impact in the middle, and low impact at the bottom. The high-impact trends are disruptive digital technologies at 58%, inflation and the economy at 56%, and geopolitical instability at 47%. The medium-impacts trends are war for talent at 34%, shifts in the way we work at 30%, and climate change and net-zero transition at 29%. The low-impact trends are increase in supply chain disruptions at 14%, higher expectations for companies to have social purpose at 11%, and persistence of the gender and racial gap in the economy at 7%.

Footnote 1: Question: From your perspective as a current or former CEO, which of the following trends will have the biggest impact on how you lead/would lead your organization in 2023 and beyond, compared with past years? Respondents selected their 3 most important trends.

Source: McKinsey CEO Excellence Survey

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To read the article, see “Actions the best CEOs are taking in 2023,” March 15, 2023.