A new Future Forum consortium study shows that executives' work experience scores have worsened significantly over the past year as leaders struggle to adapt to new employee expectations and adjust their management strategies for the "new normal." Executives' overall satisfaction with work is down 15% over the last year, while remaining relatively flat – or even slightly rising – for non-executives.

"We're still in the middle of the biggest workplace paradigm-shift we're apt to see in our lifetimes, and leaders are feeling that pressure," says Sheela Subramanian, vice president and co-founder of Future Forum. "The macroeconomic conditions, the continuing Great Resignation, and the push-pull between executives and employees on issues of workplace flexibility are making it harder to lead with confidence — you can no longer rely on the old leadership playbooks."