New Zealand leaders are among the most likely in the world to ignore data and fail to seek a range of opinions when making decisions, a global survey by recruitment agency SHL shows.

New Zealand and Australian leaders have the highest levels of behavioural risk out of the eight regions surveyed.

The survey of 600,000 managers and professionals worldwide shows more than 12 per cent exhibit high levels of behavioural risk, which is associated with lower decision-making and communication quality.

Behavioural risk means the decision-makers are more likely to miss or ignore data, lack a wider appreciation of organisational impacts, and fail to seek a range of views and opinions when making decisions.

The survey shows New Zealand leaders incur risk by not clearly communicating decisions, objectives and expectations to the organisation.

Risky leaders also lack the ability to persuade, influence, and project credibility, as well as a failure to build effective relationships and networks with others.

Many businesses are blindsided by only focusing on mitigating risk through policies and procedures, the survey said.

Risk is not something that can be completely eliminated, but organisations need to be aware of their own appetite for risk, so it can be managed in a constructive way, SHL said.  

The telecommunications sector, followed by consumer goods, and travel and leisure were the industries with the highest levels of behavioural risk globally.

- © Fairfax NZ News