Odgers Manager Barometer 2025: Leadership between exemplifying agility and providing guidance – willingness to change at record high
Frankfurt am Main, October 13, 2025
- Odgers publishes its 15th Manager Barometer.
- Managers are currently either drivers or driven: they must exemplify agility while also providing guidance. Increased communication and additional formats are necessary.
- Managers and employees alike are required to act independently and continuously educate themselves, for example in the use of artificial intelligence.
- Willingness to change jobs is higher than ever since 2015. Thirty-nine percent are considering a job change in the next twelve months, while only 38 percent plan to stay with their current employer.
Technology is driving transparency in the supply chain and changing cooperation models—trust is becoming a central dimension in supplier relationships.
Executive search and leadership advisory firm Odgers has published its 15th Odgers Manager Barometer, for which 1,242 executives from various industries and companies of all sizes in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were surveyed this year. The Manager Barometer 2025 shows that managers are under increasing pressure in a persistently volatile environment. They are expected to exemplify agility while at the same time offering stability and direction – a balancing act that requires strong communication skills, mental flexibility, and a clear stance.
“When it comes to leadership, we are seeing a significant change,” says Oliver Frille, Associate Partner and expert on procurement and supply chain issues at Odgers. “Traditional virtues such as strategic and analytical thinking are no longer enough – communication, mental flexibility, and a consistent focus on continuous learning are the core competencies that managers need today.”
At the same time, the study shows that the current transformation is driving executive dissatisfaction and willingness to change to its highest level since 2015. While 38 percent have no plans to change jobs, 39 percent are considering a change in the next twelve months and 23 percent are considering a change in the next one to two years. The willingness to change jobs is particularly high in the automotive, medical, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in the tech and telecommunications sectors. Companies need to think about how they can develop roles in a targeted manner in order to offer managers those key motivators that have remained stable for years, such as creative freedom and challenging content.
Across all industries, motivating work content and creative freedom dominate the professional goals of executives. Ninety-four percent of respondents cite these as the most important drivers of their careers. Work-life balance ranks significantly lower: only 35 percent of C-level executives consider a good work-life balance to be essential, compared to 60 percent of middle managers. This result also highlights a generational difference: for managers who are further along in their careers and generally older, a good work-life balance plays a less important role than for younger generations at the beginning of their working lives.
Another finding is that technical and technological knowledge is developing rapidly, and its half-life is shortening significantly. For managers and employees, this means taking responsibility independently and continuously developing their skills, for example in dealing with artificial intelligence. New formats such as microlearning, learning on the job, and AI-supported learning platforms will thus become standard in the future. This will increase the intensity of learning for each individual.
In the context of the specific consideration of the supply chain, the current Manager Barometer shows that significant changes are currently taking place at the interfaces between companies. Half of those surveyed assume that more resources will have to be spent in the future on consciously building and maintaining trust in supplier relationships in order to enable deeper cooperation through the sharing of valuable information. Oliver Frille explains: “Dynamics and volatility in the environment on the one hand and technology on the other are the key drivers behind the extensive changes in supply chains – greater transparency through increased monitoring, more comprehensive supply contracts, and shorter supply relationships. Trust acts as the underlying foundation of the business relationship.”
The Manager Barometer is supplemented by findings from LeadershipGarage, a collaboration platform at Leuphana University Lüneburg involving renowned companies and organizations, which is headed by Prof. Dr. Sabine Remdisch. The analysis shows that the skills of managers and their specific leadership behavior are closely linked to the adaptability of their companies and the introduction of innovations such as artificial intelligence. Strengthening leadership skills, positive leadership behavior, and promoting organizational resilience are therefore crucial for ensuring the future viability of companies.
The data from the Manager Barometer 2025 was also made available exclusively to Handelsblatt. The corresponding article, enriched with further insights, can be read here.
Oliver Frille will also present the results of the 15th Manager Barometer at the BVL Supply Chain CX in Berlin on October 23. For more information about the event and how to register, please visit here.
The complete Odgers Manager Barometer 2025 is available for download here: Manager Barometer 2025.
About Odgers
Odgers was founded in 1965. With a presence in 59 offices worldwide, we provide executive search and leadership advisory services in 33 countries. Over our 60-year history, we have developed comprehensive functional and industry-specific expertise and built a global network of trusted relationships. We are deeply rooted in local markets and combine this with our global perspective and reach, enabling us to provide comprehensive, market-specific support to clients on six continents.
Odgers is partner-led in Germany and currently employs around 120 people in Frankfurt and Munich. Since establishing its first German office in 1971, Odgers has been providing tailor-made solutions for companies in all industries – from multinational corporations to family businesses and hidden champions.
For more information, visit odgers.com/de-de/odgers.com/de-de/
Press contact
Viktoriya Simkina
Marketing & Communications
Email: Viktoriya.Simkina@odgers.com
Phone: +49 174 6682839