Qualities of a Global Leader
These qualities are taken from a presentation to students in the U.S. Department of State’s American Youth Leadership Program by a consultant in international business communication and former executive at Mobil Oil, Japan. Mr. Hiro Matsuzaki offered a list of qualities needed be highly effective leaders in the global community. Those qualities, with some expansion, are as follows:
1. Identity: Leaders must know and understand themselves and their culture. They must be able to contrast their culture with other cultures, and be able to effectively share their own culture with their international peers.
2. Empathy: Leaders must be able to take a bird’s eye view and find common ground between themselves and the people they are working with in a business or academic setting.
3. Sincerity and Honesty: Leaders actions must line up with their core beliefs and values. As part of this, leaders must identify what those core values and beliefs are and also understand the core values and beliefs of the people they are working with in a global workplace. Additionally, they must understand the cultural and historical underpinnings for those values and beliefs.
4. Curiosity: Leaders must be alert to new things and be able to understand similarities and differences. As educators, we must cultivate that curiosity and challenge students to think critically and make effective comparisons across cultures.
5. Ethical Mind: Leaders must go beyond their own ego and personal needs and must understand the power and position they possess in the world when working with others. The must consider the ethics of their actions with regards to other companies, cultures and the environment.
6. Ownership/Passion: A leader who takes strong ownership in everything she does and is filled with passion may overcome challenges related to lack of language skills or cultural differences.
1. Identity: Leaders must know and understand themselves and their culture. They must be able to contrast their culture with other cultures, and be able to effectively share their own culture with their international peers.
2. Empathy: Leaders must be able to take a bird’s eye view and find common ground between themselves and the people they are working with in a business or academic setting.
3. Sincerity and Honesty: Leaders actions must line up with their core beliefs and values. As part of this, leaders must identify what those core values and beliefs are and also understand the core values and beliefs of the people they are working with in a global workplace. Additionally, they must understand the cultural and historical underpinnings for those values and beliefs.
4. Curiosity: Leaders must be alert to new things and be able to understand similarities and differences. As educators, we must cultivate that curiosity and challenge students to think critically and make effective comparisons across cultures.
5. Ethical Mind: Leaders must go beyond their own ego and personal needs and must understand the power and position they possess in the world when working with others. The must consider the ethics of their actions with regards to other companies, cultures and the environment.
6. Ownership/Passion: A leader who takes strong ownership in everything she does and is filled with passion may overcome challenges related to lack of language skills or cultural differences.