Developing Global Leadership Capabilities

More and more companies are moving from being merely “international” to being truly “global” – in their investments, in their footprint, in their organizations.  To support this, it’s essential that companies develop leaders who can manage the complexities of thinking, operating and competing in a global marketplace.

Valuing diversity is a good start. But as we look at the four dimensions of leadership – Leading through People, Leading with Vision, Leading to Deliver and Leading with Drive – there are key
capabilities within each that are required for effective global leadership.

Leading through People

• Clearly understanding the nuances of culture and language.  Realizing that to communicate effectively with those who have a different background and frame of reference you have to adapt your communication style - and content- to them. 
• The ability to build strong interpersonal relationships regardless of location, culture or age differences.
• Recognizing and leveraging the unique value that each team member contributes.
• Fostering a global mindset among all team members through continuous learning and enabling the development of skills required to compete in a global environment.

Leading with Vision

• Understanding how to do business with people in different parts of the world and realizing that their goals may be different from ours. Being able to adapt and work together toward a common future.
• Thinking strategically and having the ability to communicate the vision to global teams.
• The ability to revise the strategy based on what’s happening in the global environment.

Leading to Deliver 

• The ability to deal with the complexity of growth on a global basis.
• Understanding the needs of the customer – wherever they are.
• Developing strong, collaborative global networks.
• Operating effectively under highly challenging circumstances.

Leading with Drive

• Not just making things happen, but delivering results through effective, repeatable processes that increase efficiencies and performance.
• Establishing best practices and implementing them across cultures.
• Seeing the broader picture of both local and global issues and devising solutions accordingly.

Investing in leadership development that builds these capabilities to create effective global leaders is more than just good business sense, it’s a key competitive advantage.

Lead on,

Rebecca

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Building a Culture That Engages Employees

A recent study by Towers Watson shows that just over a third (35%) of the 32,000 full time employees who participated in the study are “highly engaged.” Of the remaining participants, 39% are “unsupported” or “detached” and fully 26% are actively disengaged. The impact of disengaged employees is startling. In fact, Gallup estimates that the lost productivity of actively disengaged employees costs the US economy at least $370 billion annually.

Keeping employees engaged is essential to organizational success.

A key driver of employee engagement is effective leadership. While HR programs and perks may increase employee satisfaction, the number one contributor to whether an employee feels valued, connected and challenged is the employee’s immediate leader. 
In our increasingly global environment, we need leaders who can engage the workforce, motivate virtual teams, communicate effectively across borders and attract and retain diverse talent.  

But how do we develop and support those leaders?

By providing leadership development that helps leaders understand their preferences in the four dimensions of leadership – Leading through People, Leading with Vision, Leading to Deliver and Leading with Drive – and how they can adapt to a given situation or person to produce maximum results.

A culture of engagement includes two-way communication and feedback, trust in leadership, opportunities for development, employees who clearly understand how they contribute to organizational success, and shared decision-making.  Leaders contribute to this culture by recognizing the unique value that each member of the team brings to the organization, and by adapting to different communication styles, motivation triggers, and work style preferences.

The proof is in the numbers.

According to Towers Watson, those companies with a highly engaged workforce improved operating income by 19.2% over a period of 12 months. Companies with low engagement scores saw operating income decline by 32.7% over the same period. 

What are you doing to create a culture that promotes employee engagement?