n = 298
n = 116
n = 66
next read Q4
The headline chart
Figure 1.1 Dominant leadership type
| Type | Respondents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coach | 149 | 50.0% |
| Strategist | 67 | 22.5% |
| Executor | 46 | 15.4% |
| Visionary | 36 | 12.1% |
A four way split would put each type near 25 percent. Coach runs at double that. Chapter 1 has the dimension scores behind the labels and the strength of each result.
The chapters
- Chapter 1: Leadership Type n = 298. Half of self measuring leaders lead as coaches. Visionary is the least common type and the lowest scoring dimension. Four out of five respondents hold their dominant type only weakly.
- Chapter 2: Leadership Style n = 116. Transformational leadership is the most prescribed style in the literature and the one this sample scores lowest on, by both measures at once. One in five has no dominant style at all.
- Chapter 3: Leadership Skills n = 66. Relational Intelligence is the strongest of twelve skills for four in ten respondents. Influence and Persuasion is the weakest overall. This population connects well and convinces badly.
- Chapter 4: AI Readiness n = 17, below the reporting floor of 30. No figures published this quarter. The chapter explains the instrument, why the sample is small and exactly what will be reported when the floor is cleared.
Why this index exists
Most published leadership statistics come from one of two places: a vendor survey designed to support a product, or a consultancy study of large enterprises. Neither describes the company with thirty to three hundred people and an owner still in the building, which is where most leadership actually happens.
Leaders ADAPT runs four free leadership assessments. Several hundred leaders complete them every quarter. That data has been sitting in a database answering one person at a time. Published as an aggregate, with its method attached, it becomes something a journalist, a researcher, an HR leader or another coach can use and check.
The rules are set before each edition and do not move: aggregate only, a minimum of 30 responses for any published cut, the sample described honestly as self selected, every figure traceable to a stated method, and the cuts that fail the floor published as failures rather than quietly dropped.
What the index does not claim
This is a benchmark of people who chose to measure themselves, not a representative survey of all leaders. Every score is self reported, with no observer or 360 data. No demographic cuts exist because the assessments do not collect role, company size or industry. Nothing here links a score to company performance. The full set of limitations, the scales, the rounding rules and the reporting floor are on the methodology page, which is versioned and carries a change log.
Questions this edition answers
What is the most common leadership type?
In the Q3 2026 sample, Coach, at 50.0 percent of 298 respondents. Strategist follows at 22.5 percent, Executor at 15.4 percent and Visionary at 12.1 percent. Coach is also the highest scoring dimension on average, at 36.5 out of 100 against 19.0 for Visionary.
What is the most common leadership style?
Servant, at 37.9 percent of 116 respondents, followed by Democratic at 28.4 percent, Autocratic at 17.2 percent and Transformational at 16.4 percent. Servant is also the highest scoring style dimension on average at 30.4 out of 100.
Which leadership skill are leaders weakest at?
Influence and Persuasion, which scored lowest of twelve skills at 5.1 out of 20 and was the single weakest skill for 18.2 percent of the 66 respondents. Inspirational Communication was second weakest on both measures.
How many leaders are ready to lead with AI?
This edition does not say. The AI Readiness Assessment recorded 17 completions in the quarter against a reporting floor of 30, so no AI readiness figures are published. The instrument and the reporting rule are described in Chapter 4, and the next read is 5 January 2027.
Who is in the sample?
Leaders who chose to complete one or more free leadership assessments on leadersadapt.com between 1 July and 19 September 2026. It is a self selected, self reported sample. Role, company size and industry are not collected, so the index reports one population rather than cuts within it.
Can I republish a chart from the index?
Yes. Every chart may be republished with attribution and a link to its chapter page. Each chart is also available as a standalone SVG that carries its source line inside the file. The citation text and an embed snippet are at the foot of every chapter.
Cite the index
Leaders ADAPT (2026). Leadership Readiness Index, Q3 2026. https://www.leadersadapt.com/leadership-readiness-index/
Charts and tables may be republished with attribution and a link to the canonical page. No permission request is needed. For a cut that is not published, or the aggregate tables behind a chapter, write to [email protected]. Requests that would fall below the reporting floor will be declined with the count.
Join the Q4 sample
Every completion between now and 31 December 2026 is part of the next edition. The assessments are free, take between five and twenty minutes, and give you your own result immediately.
- Leadership Type Assessment, about five minutes
- Leadership Style Assessment, about twelve minutes
- Leadership Skills Assessment, fifteen to twenty minutes across twelve capabilities
- AI Readiness Assessment, twelve questions, the chapter that needs the responses most
Or browse everything free on the site from the tools shelf.