Winning with Transglobal Leadership

Global Organizations and Their Leaders

Good leaders are vital to the success of any firm, but globalization is driving the demand for a new breed of “transglobal leader.” Such leaders are in short supply, because they need deeper skills than domestic leaders, and those skills are hard to identify and take time to develop. Good domestic executives frequently fail when posted to foreign assignments, because unfamiliar settings greatly amplify the fast-paced, interconnected and complex nature of modern business. Unlike in the past, when expatriate leaders had time to adjust to new surroundings, today’s global leaders must navigate cultural, political and language barriers very quickly or risk the loss of local talent, reputation and crucial relationships.

Multinational organizations often believe they are global, but most aren’t. To develop global leaders for foreign assignments, first seek global thinking at the top. Evaluate your board and executive officers. Do they have similar backgrounds? Do they come from the same place? Did they get promoted with little or no global experience? Or, do they have a genuine “global mind-set?” Do they reside almost exclusively in...