85%
of business leaders reported decision distress
The pressure is not merely a matter of choosing between options. It can affect the capacity to move at all.
Source: Oracle, Decision Intelligence (2023)Research & reference
Leadership Decision-Making Statistics
A current reference for writers, leaders and advisers examining how decisions are made under pressure. Updated July 21, 2026.
At a glance
Decision quality is a leadership issue before it becomes a business result.
These figures bring together reputable research on decision-making, executive confidence, accountability and engagement. They are intended as a practical source for anyone writing or thinking seriously about leadership under consequence.
Each statistic links to its original report. Read the source in context before applying a number to a specific company, market or decision.
12 citable figures
Leadership and decision-making by the numbers.
20%
said their organization excels at decision-making
In McKinsey's global survey, only one in five respondents placed their organization in this group.
Source: McKinsey, Decision Making in the Age of Urgency (2019)37%
of managers' time was spent making decisions
McKinsey used this average in its estimate of the time management teams devote to deciding.
Source: McKinsey, Decision Making in the Age of Urgency (2019)58%
of that decision-making time was used ineffectively
The gap is not simply time spent. It is time spent without enough clarity, speed or follow-through.
Source: McKinsey, Decision Making in the Age of Urgency (2019)37%
said decisions were both high-quality and fast
Most respondents did not see their organization consistently achieving both qualities at once.
Source: McKinsey, Decision Making in the Age of Urgency (2019)2×
more likely to report returns of at least 20%
Respondents at organizations that made good decisions quickly were twice as likely to report strong returns from recent big or cross-cutting decisions.
Source: McKinsey, Decision Making in the Age of Urgency (2019)30%
of CEOs were very or extremely confident in 12-month revenue growth
PwC reported this in its 2026 global survey, down from 38% the previous year.
Source: PwC, 29th Global CEO Survey (2026)47%
of CEOs' time went to issues under one year away
Only 16% went to activities with a horizon of more than five years, showing the pull of immediate demands.
Source: PwC, 29th Global CEO Survey (2026)66%
of CEOs reported stakeholder trust concerns
The concerns had arisen in at least one area of business operations during the previous 12 months.
Source: PwC, 29th Global CEO Survey (2026)20%
global employee engagement in 2025
Gallup's 2026 report describes this as the lowest level since 2020.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace (2026)22%
global manager engagement in 2025
Gallup found manager engagement had fallen nine points since 2022.
Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace (2026)<50%
of leaders rated themselves outstanding or exceptional at accountability
Gallup identified accountability as the lowest-rated of seven core leadership competencies in its survey.
Source: Gallup, Accountability Is Leadership's Greatest Weakness (2026)What the figures suggest
The work is not to eliminate uncertainty. It is to meet it without becoming ruled by it.
The data points to a familiar leadership problem: consequential decisions take a great deal of time, yet many organizations do not feel they are making them well or quickly enough. In a more demanding environment, the quality of attention, judgment and accountability becomes part of the practical work.
For leaders facing a decision that cannot be usefully delegated, private work can provide the distance needed to see the real choice and its consequences more clearly.
Explore private advisoryMethodology & sources
How this reference is maintained.
Selection
Only named reports from established research and survey organizations are included. Every figure on this page links to its original source and report year.
Scope
The figures describe the surveyed populations and periods in their cited reports. They are not estimates for every leader, company or industry.
Updates
This page is reviewed monthly, or sooner when a core source publishes newer data. Stable statistic links are retained when figures are refreshed.
Primary sources
Cite this page
Joseph Riggio International. “Leadership Decision-Making Statistics.” Updated July 21, 2026. https://whiterabbitfield.com/leadership-decision-making-statistics
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