Professor Vicki Culpin
June 18, 2026
How optimistic do you feel about the future of leadership?
95%
of leaders are motivated to continue learning and developing new skills
95%
agree learning will be a continuous, integrated part of working life
84%
are optimistic for the next generation of leader
Optimism for learning and leadership development is high. In the largest and most geographically diverse study into how leaders learn – The Hult Ashridge Leadership Learning Index (HALLI) – we find that 95% of leaders are motivated to continue learning.
This high level of optimism, however, is not shared equally. When we look more closely, a clear disparity emerges between the C-suite and more junior leaders:
67% of C-suite leaders strongly agree they feel motivated to continue learning compared to 48% of first-line managers
45% of the C-suite strongly agree they feel optimistic for the next generation of leader, compared to just 31% of first-line managers
The more senior the leader, the more optimistic their outlook, be it access to learning, motivation to learn, or views on the development of future talent. Is this advantage blindness, privilege, or an optimism bubble? [1]
Optimism is an important force for change – but it isn’t enough without engagement of the whole organization. When learning is designed for the whole system, you create a future everyone can be optimistic about. Until then, it is just a bubble.
What organizations can do now:
Canvass view widely: Who do you speak to and listen to when seeking to understand learning needs? Embrace senior leadership optimism, but question it too. Canvass views across levels when seeking to understand the organizational learning climate.
Democratize learning: Who has access to what types of learning, and when? Ensure learning is not ringfenced for particular groups but that everyone has access to the appropriate learning interventions.
[1] Reitz, M. and Higgins, J. (2019). Speak Up. Pearson Education.
Meet the expert
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Vicki Culpin
Professor of Organizational Behavior at Hult International Business School
Vicki specializes in how to master leadership and resilience in turbulent times and has spent over 20 years researching the impact of well-being and memory.
Vicki also researches in the field of adult pedagogy, specifically in relation to learning transfer. Vicki works with a range of clients from across the world, advising on leadership development, along with sharing her research findings.
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