Press Release "The New Reality of Leadership"

Amsterdam, 2026 – The executive search market is undergoing a fundamental shift. Not because demand for leadership is decreasing, but because organizations are becoming significantly more selective in how they assess and appoint leaders.

This is the key conclusion from a new whitepaper by Ineke Kooistra, founder of EliN Partners Executive Search, titled “The New Reality of Leadership.”

Drawing on her experience across boardrooms as an executive search partner, interim CEO, and strategic advisor, Kooistra identifies a clear change in how leadership is defined.

“The question in today’s boardrooms is no longer who fits,” says Kooistra. “It has become much more direct: who is going to make this work, and how will it actually happen?”

From profile to performance

According to the whitepaper, executive search is shifting away from traditional leadership profiles toward leaders who can deliver immediate and tangible impact.

Organizations are taking more time to make appointments, setting higher expectations, and showing less tolerance for mismatch. As a result, the market is not becoming quieter, but narrower.

“There is no shortage of experienced leaders,” Kooistra explains. “What we see is a shortage of leaders who are truly relevant to the phase and challenges organizations are facing today.”

Execution as the defining factor

One of the central findings of the whitepaper is that most organizational challenges are not rooted in strategy, but in execution.

Kooistra emphasizes that many organizations have a clear direction, but struggle to translate that into decisions, ownership, and consistent follow-through.

To address this, the whitepaper introduces frameworks such as FLOW, focusing on focus, leadership, operating rhythm, and team effectiveness, and BRIGHT, highlighting the behavioural drivers of performance.

“Strategy is rarely the issue,” says Kooistra. “The real question is how strategy travels through the organization and becomes reality.”

Leadership is contextual

The whitepaper also highlights a growing recognition that leadership effectiveness is context-dependent.

Kooistra refers to this as the concept of the “Seasonal CEO,” where the effectiveness of a leader depends on the phase of the organization, such as growth, stabilization, or transformation.

“There is no such thing as the best leader,” she states. “There is only the right leader for a specific moment.”

Rising pressure, decreasing patience

The report further identifies an increasing tension in today’s leadership environment.

While expectations of leaders continue to rise, pressure from investors and stakeholders is accelerating, often leading to a stronger focus on speed and short-term results.

However, Kooistra warns against equating speed with effectiveness.

“Replacing leaders faster does not necessarily create better outcomes,” she explains. “The real question is whether organizations are addressing the right underlying challenges.”

Whitepaper available

The full whitepaper, “The New Reality of Leadership,” is available at: https://gamma.app/docs/EliN-Partners-Executive-Search--za76ss5dbz4ye3i

👉 The New Reality of Leadership