Positive Leadership: Becoming More Global

Most companies recognise the benefit of having leaders with international experience, but few offer the developmental opportunities to gain it. It’s up to you to take responsibility for improving your cross-cultural awareness.

Here’s how:

Strengthen relationships. Cultivate the contacts and friends you already have across national and cultural boundaries. Offer to assist them with something; what follows may help give you insight into unfamiliar environments.

Start locally. Social media has opened up new opportunities to connect from home. LinkedIn’s network statistics function, for instance, shows you the geographic reach of your network and where it’s growing fastest. Reach out to people in regions you want to learn more about.

Go. International travel is vitally important. When working abroad, make sure you leave the hotel — and stay an extra day or two to visit museums or attend cultural events.

Positive Leadership: Becoming More Global

Positive Leadership: American Influence in the 21st Century

Author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman spoke to a Stanford audience about the themes of his recent book, "That Used To Be Us," which explores the reasons for U.S. decline in the 21st century and offers solutions to preserve American power in the world.

Average is officially over!

Positive Leadership: American Influence in the 21st Century

Positive Leader: Becoming a Global Leader

For aspiring leaders who want to become global citizens and increase their global fluency, here are some suggestions to get started:

1. Target at least one fundamentally different culture. While it may be tempting to live in a culture similar to your own — for example, Britons working in America — the most compelling learning experiences come from living in cultures that are sharply differently from your own. Chinese professionals working in South Africa, for example, will find their existing cultural assumptions challenged as they gain increased humility by learning local languages and coping with different norms.

2. Spend time studying overseas. Studying in different cultures enables young leaders to understand cultural nuances and become actively engaged with global organisations. Global organisations prefer candidates who have studied abroad because these early experiences will broaden your perspective about seeking fascinating global opportunities throughout your life. Look for opportunities, and if you're already out of university, ask if your organisation offers programmes to give you experience abroad.

3. Learn the local language. As English becomes the language of business, it is tempting to get by with limited knowledge of local languages. That's a mistake. Learning local languages enables you to appreciate cultural nuances and develop more personal relationships. Being fluent in multiple languages makes it easier to learn new ones and opens up career opportunities.

4. Don't judge cultural differences or local people. When your new environment is sharply different from prior experiences, it's tempting to make snap judgments about your experiences and stay attached to your own culture. Resist that temptation by observing, listening, learning, and understanding rather than judging. Use your insights to improve local ways of operating, but don't rush to criticise.

5. Share international experiences with your family. Living in new countries brings your family much closer together and will be a time for growth, bonding and learning as a family. Hold parties for your local neighbours join a local church and get involved in your children's school. Host regular visits from parents and close friends. Balance breadth and depth in your travels to explore many different areas and countries, and spend time talking with local people. But don't travel so much that you fail to get deeply involved in your new community and explore its richness.

Positive Leader: Becoming a Global Leader