Despite huge external issues in the sphere of geopolitics and paradigm shifts in technology, corporate leaders around the world are prioritising what they can directly control, according to new research, prompting claims that boards “may not be evolving fast enough”.

A survey of more 2,000 CEOs and board directors finds the biggest priorities are company culture and their workforces, or access to talent, rather than preparing for geopolitical upheaval which was only voted the sixth most important issue.

The survey comes as war continues in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan and while the US is just days away from an election whose result could potentially upend political norms.

The Spencer Stuart Board Index report says that while the “existential” issues, among them climate change, AI and geopolitics, are on the minds of corporate leaders, their time is “most focused on issues they can more directly control…”.

There are differing views on their level preparedness for the challenges currently: while 87% of boards have “faith” in the readiness of their CEOs, just 32% of chief executives have “a lot” of confidence in their boards to help support them.

A blog post from Spencer Stuart’s Julie Daum and Laurel McCarthy says that boards “may not be evolving fast enough” to deal with the current array of global challenges.

“In our most recent survey of global CEOs and board directors, more than three fourths say they see business uncertainty growing.

“Yet only a third of CEOs believe they have the board they need to address the issues faced by their organisations.”

Board Agenda’s Macro Memo podcast this week explores the potential significance of the current environment in the European Union, the US and the UK.

The podcast highlights how the recent Mario Draghi report outlines the need for massive investment in innovation and new technologies if the EU is to arrest economic decline; the challenges faced by Rachel Reeves in setting her first budget for the UK economy; and the potential upheaval in world trade depending on the outcome of the US presidential election next month.

Spencer Stuart is not the first to warn about the evolution of boards in relation to the current risks. In August, Principles for Responsible Investment and a think tank, the Sustainability Board, warned that boards must consider geopolitical risks “even if they seem outside the normal scope” of risk considerations.

Other research has highlighted the slow move by US boards to acquire geopolitical expertise.

At a time when the risks seems to be ever more numerous and ever more complex, the make up of board rooms will be decisive. Spencer Stuart’s research suggests that it is a global issue.