Current Issue: Global Leadership - Critical Competencies
What are the behaviors of successful global leaders? The research of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge, shows that overall, constituents tend to look for the same things in their leaders, whether their organizations are global - or local. They offered up the following observations in their leadership blog:
Exemplary Global Leaders are Credible
Of all the qualities that people look for and admire in a leader, honesty is by far the most personal—to leaders and constituents. It’s the quality that makes everything else a leader says and does believable. A leader’s honesty is a reflection of our own honesty. It’s the quality that can most enhance or most damage our own personal reputations.
Global Leaders are Forward Looking
People expect leaders to have a sense of direction and a concern for the future of the organization. Exemplary leaders are able to envision the future and develop a unique image of the future. But it’s not just the leader’s vision. It’s a shared vision—a vision for the common good.
Global Leaders are Team Players
Leaders foster collaboration and build trust. This sense of teamwork goes far beyond a few direct reports or close confidants. In today’s virtual organizations, cooperation can’t be restricted to a small group of loyalists; it must include peers, managers, customers and clients, suppliers, citizens—all those who have a stake in the vision
Global Leaders are Inspiring
Enthusiasm and excitement are essential because they signal the leader’s personal commitment. If a leader displays no passion for a cause, why should anyone else? Constituents are much more likely to be positively influenced by a leader who has zeal and fervor for a cause than one who is dispassionate.
Global Leaders are Open-Minded
There is still one other overarching quality that explains why global leaders are effective in culturally diverse settings. It's something other researchers have called a global mindset, but it all boils down to being open-minded and flexible - adapting a "global mindset" that values flexibility, openness, and curiosity.
Source: The Leadership Challenge LeaderTalk.
Note from the Editor: In this new format of The Leader's Almanac, we offer you a timely collection of some of the best leadership development content around. We’re open to suggestions for future topics as well. What are your “Leadership Challenges”?
—Pat Schally, Editor
pat@sonomaleadership.com
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