U.S. Managers Overestimate Their Leadership Effectiveness While Untapped Leaders Wait in the Wings, New Study Reveals
Survey of 50,000+ workers uncovers a 23-point "leadership delta" between manager confidence and employee experience, while nearly one-third of the workforce identifies as leaders without formal authority.
New York, NY — While 86% of U.S. managers feel confident in their leadership abilities, only 63% of employees say their manager is effective, revealing a critical gap that may be quietly eroding trust and performance across American organizations, according to new research from idealis., a research-backed leadership advisory firm. The study also uncovers a vast pool of "untapped leaders"—31% of the workforce who see themselves as leaders despite lacking formal management roles.
The findings challenge conventional approaches to leadership development and reveal both a problem and a promise: formal managers need greater support to lead with impact, while a massive cohort of informal leaders stands ready to step up if given access and opportunity.
Key Findings:
The Leadership Delta: 86% of managers feel confident leading, but only 63% of employees experience them as effective—a 23-point gap. One in three workers report their manager doesn't care about them personally, and 46% don't admire their leader.
Untapped Leadership Capacity: 31% of non-managers already identify as leaders. Among them, 78% feel confident in their ability to lead and 67% are excited to lead at greater scale—nearly matching managers (72%). This group is more racially diverse and less privileged than formal managers.
Support System Gaps: Only 29% of managers turn to their own leader for support, and just 12% go to HR. Younger managers increasingly seek guidance from the internet (11%) or GenAI (6%), signaling a shift toward digital-first development.
Care as Performance Driver: Employees who feel cared for by their manager are 2.7x more likely to be engaged. Yet one-third say their manager doesn't care about them—a deficit that directly impacts retention and pace under pressure.
"Leadership isn't about how capable managers feel. It's about how credible they are to the people they lead," said Dr. Sumona De Graaf, Founder and CEO of idealis. "The 23-point gap between confidence and effectiveness isn't just a measurement problem—it's an organizational tax on performance. And at the same time, we're sitting on tremendous untapped leadership potential that's already inside our companies."
Prior to founding idealis., De Graaf served as Chief Human Resources Officer of a public company, where she led culture transformation and talent strategy for thousands of employees across operational and corporate functions.
"Across managers, confidence is high, but effectiveness lags. The future of leadership depends on activating both groups: helping formal managers close the credibility gap and giving informal leaders real opportunities to lead before they manage," said De Graaf. "Organizations that unlock this dual capacity will build cultures where leadership is shared, scalable, and sustainable."
The research was conducted in partnership with CivicScience using its national survey platform and includes responses from over 50,000 U.S. workers collected between July 2024 and September 2025.
The full report is available by request.
About idealis.
idealis. is a research-backed leadership advisory firm that helps organizations navigate moments of change with clarity, trust, and performance.
Media Contact:
+1 (602) 492-3883
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