Abstract

Data from three most recent ASQ surveys—the 2024 and 2025 salary surveys, and a 2025 pulse survey—were synthesized to analyze the importance of leadership and communication in one’s career development: where there may be gaps and how to close those skills deficits for individuals and organizations. In particular, the gap that many professionals sense in their own communication is widest early in a career and narrows steadily with age. In other words, the early-career professional is caught in a squeeze. The communication gap is wide when the organization support to close it is thin. The lesson? Start building now. There are low-cost and on-the-job to get reps on communication and leadership. For example lead something small and cross functional. Facilitate a retrospective, run the daily huddle and shepherd a pilot end to end. Communication is learned in reps, not lectures.