Leading Effectively: What is your Global Management Style?

February 25, 2009

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Culture shapes how we think about what is good leadership, and the definitions of an "effective leader" vary from one culture to another. In fact, effective leadership behavior in one culture could (and will) be completely ineffective in others.

In order to develop leaders who can effectively lead global operations, it is important to understand what makes leaders effective across cultures. Culture shapes how we think about what is good leadership, and the definitions of an "effective leader" vary from one culture to another. In fact, effective leadership behavior in one culture could (and will) be completely ineffective in others. The framework for Global Leadership Development should include:

Identification of talent

Assessment of the talent capabilities (and this should include cultural assessment for global leaders) A gap analysis (one to identify needs for each individual and a general one regarding the talent pool so the organization can leverage needs across large employee populations) A variety of development approaches that address culturally appropriate learning styles Measurement processes to track actual development ITAP can help your organization: assess the effectiveness of your recruitment, selection and succession policies to insure that your talent pool is diverse and matches the qualities and characteristics that will succeed in various cultures define what qualities and characteristics (competencies) are necessary to succeed across cultures design learning opportunities that match leaders' learning styles, because these too differ across cultures provide cross-cultural coaching for executives and leaders working in a multi-cultural environment assess each leader's cultural profile to help him or her with self-understanding, the first step to appreciation of cultural differences.

Cross-cultural Competency

Best practices in one culture can be career limiting in another. Through training, education or coaching ITAP can support the development of global leaders. With attention to cultural flexibility and understanding, ITAP develops leaders who focus on outcomes within a global process framework.

Leadership Competency

The definition of an effective leader in one culture may be exactly opposite to the behaviors needed to be effective in another. ITAP helps leaders and executives understand the perceptions of their global workforce, customers and vendors. With ITAP, leaders focus on the behaviors necessary to achieve results across cultures, to motivate global employees to achieve business outcomes and to succeed in the global marketplace.

Assessment and Development

Global leaders often find out too late about the different assumptions among their management team members from other cultures concerning their priorities in the business and their preferred management styles. A leader's cultural sensitivity to local ideas about business goals and values, performance improvement systems, conflicts between quality and quantity, standards of customer service, work rules, decision making and information management has a strong impact on his/her effectiveness.

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