‘Vision and determination’ - what it takes to become a CEO in Scotland in 2026

A quarter of Scotland’s bosses do not feel anyone in their team is ready to step into their shoes, new research suggests.

The in-depth study, based on surveys and interviews with more than 200 chief executives, non-executive directors and heads of functions such as finance and HR, found that internal succession planning remains a major challenge for many organisations.

Although 75 per cent of respondents believe their successor currently sits within their senior leadership team - up from 47 per cent the previous year - one-quarter of executives still do not feel anyone in their team is ready to become chief executive.

Livingston James director Ali Shaw.

Now in its second year, the “Investigating the Future CEO” study saw executive search specialist Livingston James and business services giant EY interview and survey more than 200 C-suite executives across Scotland’s public, private and third sectors.

When asked what characteristics CEOs would need for success in the future, “vision and determination” was the highest response by far, at 68 per cent, which is said to reflect the need for leaders to provide clarity and stability within their organisations.

Building on that theme, “resilience” was the second most popular choice, cited by 50 per cent of respondents, with interviewees citing the capacity to adapt, absorb pressure and sustain trust in a volatile world becoming increasingly important factors.

Meanwhile, emotional intelligence has surged in importance compared to the previous year’s survey, in a shift towards “human-centred leadership”. HR and non-executive directors, in particular, said they saw it as essential for leading diverse teams, navigating stakeholder relationships, and being sensitive to cultural change.

While ambition to reach chief executive level remains strong - 80 per cent of functional leaders believe they have the potential to take on the position - structured routes remain limited, according to the report.

Only 29 per cent of respondents said they are part of a formal succession plan and 70 per cent of leaders do not know about, or do not believe there are, adequate pathways in place for them to progress into a CEO role.

Livingston James director Ali Shaw said: “The way leadership teams see CEOs is evolving. While being determined, resilient, and having the courage to lead are still highly rated attributes, a softer side is becoming more important.

“With the world becoming a more uncertain place, that is only likely to grow in importance as employees at all levels look to their CEO as the person driving the organisation forward and providing long-term perspective, backed up with authenticity and relatability to take people along with them.

“Our findings also underline the need for more deliberate leadership development and exposure to cross-functional experience.”

Cara Heaney, people advisory services and managed services leader at EY Scotland, added: “Vision, determination and resilience will always be core to the CEO role, but this research shows that softer skills - particularly emotional intelligence - are now just as critical.

“As expectations of leaders rise, organisations in Scotland will need to be more considered about how they develop future CEOs - giving high‑potential leaders structured opportunities, mentoring, and cross‑functional experience so they can develop these softer skills alongside the day-to-day experience the role still demands.”