REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP

THE DEVELOPMENT

OF THE LEADER WITHIN

THE GLOBAL CORPORATION

Many business leaders today view their jobs as entailing responsibility

for the welfare of the wider community. These individuals do not defi ne

themselves as profi t - making machines whose only reason for existing is to

satisfy escalating expectation for immediate gain.

— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Introduction

The globalization of business is increasing at a phenomenal rate, acceler-
ated by a breakdown of some of the past barriers to international
trade — the continued growth of the European Union and Eastern
Europe, and the development of China, India, and Brazil. As companies
seek to globalize their operations, they often run into a number of
barriers, many of which have their roots in cultural differences. All this
raises the question of whether a new kind of ‘ global ’ leader will now be
needed — someone who can play the role of catalyst, who is sensitive to
and adept at managing cultural diversity, and who functions effectively
in different cultural environments.
The extent to which leadership must be culturally adaptive if an
organization operates in multiple cultural environments is not yet com-
pletely clear. However, it ’ s probably safe to presume that adaptability
will be an asset. So what qualities are needed to make good future global
leaders? What kind of management development and training enhances
cultural empathy and adaptability? In what organizational context does

CHAPTER 13