The NC State ERM Initiative’s 2026 Executive Perspectives on Top Risks and Opportunities report revealed something striking: among 1,735 executives surveyed, leadership development and succession planning emerged among the most significant near‑term and long‑term risks facing organizations today.

Specifically, it ranked as the 7th highest risk concern out of 28 themes for the next two to three years—and broader talent challenges rose to the 5th highest concern when looking a full decade ahead. Boards, CEOs and CHROs listed leadership development and succession planning as their second highest risk concern for the near term.

Building a strong leadership bench is no longer a “nice to have” — it is essential for organizational resilience and long‑term success.

Why This Risk Matters for CROs

These concerns carry special significance for enterprise risk management leaders and chief risk officers. ERM functions need leaders with a sophisticated blend of skills—technical knowledge of risk systems and skills to navigate ambiguity, communicate and influence decisions, and EQ to lead across silos.

Finding and preparing leaders with this combination is increasingly difficult. Yet as the risk landscape grows more complex, the demand for highly capable ERM leadership is rising faster than the supply.

5 Leadership Resources for CROs

To help ERM professionals navigate this challenge, we have curated the following set of leadership‑focused summaries based on some of the most compelling thought leadership published in recent months. Each summary considers issues through an ERM lens.

Check Out These Articles

1. Strategies to Address Leadership Talent Gaps
   • Article Topic: What the latest research says about why leadership pipelines are thinning, and what organizations can do today to avoid tomorrow’s talent cliff.
2. How Chief Risk Officers Can Build the Next Generation of Leaders
   • Article Topic:  Insights on creating a leadership “factory” that develops risk‑savvy, future‑ready talent.
3. Emotional Intelligence Is Essential for ERM Leadership
   • Article Topic:  Why EQ now matters as much as technical expertise for ERM leaders and CROs navigating uncertainty, crises, and stakeholder scrutiny.
4. Considering Risks of Succession Planning in a World of AI
   • Article Topic:  How AI is reshaping leadership roles, decision‑making, and the competencies required to lead risk functions in a digital era.
5. Looking to Olympians for Leadership Principles
   • Article Topic:  What elite athletes can teach ERM leaders about resilience, preparation, performance under pressure, and sustained excellence.

We hope the above articles provide some thought starters to help ERM leaders consider risks related to leadership development and succession planning.

Why These Insights Matter

These articles illuminate what leading organizations are doing to build that capability and what ERM functions can learn from them. Whether you are strengthening your current leadership bench, preparing for long-term succession, or advancing your own development, these perspectives offer essential insights for shaping the next generation of risk leadership.