Monday, May 26, 2008

Leadership Development For A Diverse World - How To Lead Globally

By Maynard Brusman

How to Lead Globally

Enlightened leaders now and in the future must be learning agile. They must be able to engage people with different values and perspectives.

Communicating across multi-cultural and multi-generational communities is becoming more important as a competency for leaders in the future. A lot more of managing and leading will have to be done virtually.

Only a few of the prominent business schools have begun to teach new and future leaders how to manage diverse cultures in a virtual environment. Yet this is a clearly emerging competency.

Even smaller companies will become global and be required to work in a global environment. Expect to see an increase in diversity issues arise in leadership development programs. The use of executive coaches is expected to gain priority as a primary tool for developing diversity competencies for leaders.

Dissolving Boundaries

Leadership, when simply defined, is all about bringing people together to make something happen. Effective leaders galvanize attention and get people moving forward together. However, organizations are increasingly complex. The past is no longer a map for how to do business in the future.

Leaders of the future must have an increased ability to be flexible, and open to learning. They must be able to manage the tension created by diversity and differing perspectives. They must be able to coordinate and reach consensus, while keeping the focus on common goals and values.

The global nature of business means improving our abilities to work and lead across diverse cultures. Leaders must understand the different legal, political, religious, gender and generational perspectives in different regions and countries. How do their organization̢۪s products and services impact the people in the areas where they are doing business? Are the organization̢۪s employees and executives able to respond to differing needs in a flexible and rapid manner? Can leaders manage the tension that is inherent in multi-cultural environments?

For many organizations having difficulty managing cultural diversity within their own domestic offices, it will be even more challenging to meet global demands. Flexible leaders who are capable of managing diverse groups of people both domestically and throughout the world will have the competitive edge.

Alliances, partnerships, mergers, and outsourcing have all changed the way we do business. Industry boundaries are blurring. Team boundaries must be fluid in order to share information and enable better decision-making. Leaders who are adept at building relationships and leveraging partnerships will have a competitive advantage for the future. The ability to guide diverse groups to consensus by focusing on common purpose and core values will be a highly prized competency.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the BarOn EQi and CPI 260 can help you become a a more inspiring and visionary leader who can manage diverse cultures. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams.

We provide strategic talent management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders and lawyers.

The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare "Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Law Firms.

Subscribe to Working Resources FREE electronic newsletter at http://www.workingresources.com

Visit Maynard's Blog at http:// http://www.WorkingResourcesBlog.com
P.O. Box 471525San Francisco, California 94147-1525Tel: 415-546-1252Fax: 415-721-7322E-mail: mbrusman@workingresources.comWeb Site: http://www.workingresources.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maynard_Brusman

No comments: