Global leadership development
In 1996 the Economist Intelligence Unit questioned 350 senior business leaders from around the world on corporate change, looking ahead to the year 2010: ‘Almost 40 per cent of those interviewed named ‘soft issues’ such as cultural sensitivity, effective people-management, and clear and frequent communication as the biggest challenges for the future. Only 4 per cent claimed they were ‘very well’ prepared for these changing demands.
We work with leaders to develop the necessary skills to:
| • | See
globalisation and diversity as an opportunity - and create an environment
where people from different backgrounds can thrive |
| • | Develop individuals’ resilience to deal with a turbulent business environment and uncertain times |
| • | Build truly-integrated and diverse multinational teams |
| • | Take responsibility for implementing a ‘global mindset’ and develop cross-border management expertise |
Building effective global teams
The multicultural bridge crew on Star Trek’s famous ‘Enterprise’ spaceship encountered daily difficulties trying to reconcile their various backgrounds and values. The team frequently discussed their diverse perspectives and the classic Trek conflict pitted ‘logic’ against ‘emotion’ – still a current theme in many international teams.
The ability to motivate - and inspire and emotionally connect with people - is a key skill for any team leader; even more so in a global setting. It requires patience, excellent listening skills, flexibility – and a high level of self-awareness.
Our programmes aim to provide participants with the necessary skills to build strong and productive teams - and to encourage a greater awareness of the impact of cultural values on behaviour and management styles. For example, most native English speakers probably don’t realise what an advantage they have because the ‘lingua franca’ today is their language. A common complaint in multinational teams is that native English speakers dominate team meetings, interrupt their colleagues in mid-sentence – and get irritated when those with English as a second (or third) language are speaking slowly. This often leads to conflicts, a lack of trust and a breakdown of relationships. So one of the first things we look at are strategies to overcome language barriers and build trust.
