CCL’s AI-Driven Research Findings on Top Leadership Challenges Published by SIOP

  • Published October 2, 2025
CCL’s AI-Driven Research Findings on Top Leadership Challenges Published by SIOP

Research from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)® has been published in the Oxford University Press’ SIOP Frontiers Series volume Case Studies in I-O Psychology: Practical Applications of Science.

The Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP) is the premier professional association for the science and practice of Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology, which focuses on the scientific study of human behavior in organizations and in the workplace. The SIOP Frontiers Series focuses on cutting-edge research in I-O psychology and related fields.

The chapter, titled “Framework for Matching Leaders’ Challenges with Leadership Development: A Case Study of AI in Action,” was co-authored by CCL’s Ramya Balakrishnan and Jean Brittain Leslie alongside Scott Tonidandel of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Stephen Young of Caterpillar, Inc. and introduces the Leadership Challenge Ladder framework.

Using data from 37,000 leaders across 6,000 organizations, the research project used AI to identify 42 persistent leadership challenges that researchers organized into 3 key themes: personal growth, people and task demands, and working within a larger system.

The chapter also discusses how the framework was applied to redesign CCL’s flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP)®, resulting in a 100% participant recommendation rate, a 98% relevance rating, and a 50% improvement in team performance metrics.

“The inclusion of our leadership challenges research in the SIOP Frontiers Series underscores CCL’s commitment to advancing the science of leadership while ensuring practical relevance,” said Ramya Balakrishnan, co-author and Data Scientist at CCL.

“By applying cutting-edge, AI-based approaches and embedding these insights into our Leadership Development Program redesign, this work demonstrates the practical application of scientific research to real-world needs and the transformative potential of AI in organizational psychology.”

Learn more about our leadership development research or read our Leadership Challenge Ladder technical report.

About SIOP

SIOP is the premier professional association for the science and practice of I-O psychology. While an independent organization with its own governance, SIOP also represents Division 14 of the American Psychological Association and is an organizational affiliate of the Association for Psychological Science. Learn more about SIOP.

About CCL
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At the Center for Creative Leadership, our drive to create a ripple effect of positive change underpins everything we do. For 50+ years, we’ve pioneered leadership development solutions for leaders at every level, from community leaders to CEOs. Consistently ranked among the top global providers of executive education, our research-based programs and solutions inspire individuals at every level in organizations across the world — including 2/3 of the Fortune 1000 — to ignite remarkable transformations.

At the Center for Creative Leadership, our drive to create a ripple effect of positive change underpins everything we do. For 50+ years, we’ve pioneered leadership development solutions for leaders at every level, from community leaders to CEOs. Consistently ranked among the top global providers of executive education, our research-based programs and solutions inspire individuals at every level in organizations across the world — including 2/3 of the Fortune 1000 — to ignite remarkable transformations.

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Learn more about CCL.
  • Published October 2, 2025

Honor Awarded To

Ramya Balakrishnan
Ramya Balakrishnan, MS
Data Scientist

Ramya’s expertise is in analyzing data by using advanced algorithms to extract valuable information, and she has extensive experience in the fields of data science and machine learning. At CCL, her work involves data collection, building AI-based models, and data visualization to drive key insights. Her thought leadership sits at the intersection of AI, data ethics, and applied social science, delivering equitable, data-driven solutions to enhance leadership development.

Ramya’s expertise is in analyzing data by using advanced algorithms to extract valuable information, and she has extensive experience in the fields of data science and machine learning. At CCL, her work involves data collection, building AI-based models, and data visualization to drive key insights. Her thought leadership sits at the intersection of AI, data ethics, and applied social science, delivering equitable, data-driven solutions to enhance leadership development.

Jean Leslie
Jean Leslie, MA
Senior Fellow & Senior Research Scientist

Jean conducts applied research at the intersection of leadership and polycrisis, investigating how leaders can navigate the complex, interconnected challenges facing our world today. She’s published more than 100 pieces on leadership, assessment, and feedback — in the form of peer-reviewed articles, popular-press articles, book chapters, and books — and has presented over 70 papers at professional conferences such as the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists.

 

Jean conducts applied research at the intersection of leadership and polycrisis, investigating how leaders can navigate the complex, interconnected challenges facing our world today. She’s published more than 100 pieces on leadership, assessment, and feedback — in the form of peer-reviewed articles, popular-press articles, book chapters, and books — and has presented over 70 papers at professional conferences such as the Academy of Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists.

 

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