308 REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP
But what are the implications of the inevitable march of globaliza-
tion on the nature of leadership? What does excellence mean in the
global organization and by what criteria should it be judged? I have tried
to unearth some answers to these questions by looking at the results of
a large number of consultations and research projects that I have con-
ducted in global organizations.
A lthough many str uctura l dimensions of the g loba l cor poration have
been identifi ed, very few researchers have touched on the underlying
drivers of the most successful among such corporations. I concluded from
my discussions with top executives from global corporations that only
when leaders establish a state of complementarity with the universal
motivational need system of their followers (whatever their national
culture may be) will global organizations (like any organization) blossom.
To be a successful global corporation, vision, mission, and cultural and
strategic factors in an organization have to be aligned with the motiva-
tional need systems of employees. Without such alignment, no organiza-
tion can be truly effective on a global scale. Although there is no easy
solution to the development of leaders in a global age, companies,
however, that carefully select and strategically develop people with
leadership qualities that are adapted to the new requirements, and use
them at all levels in the organization, will have a competitive edge. To
be more specifi c, organizations that are best places to work pay attention
to the values that are really important to their employees. Unfortunately,
many organizations — and this includes the global ones — are anything
but best places to work.Meta-values for great companies
Although CEOs worldwide are fascinated by global organizations, their
employees do not always share their enthusiasm. I have observed a
great deal of dissatisfaction among the people who work in such cor-
porations. As a matter of fact, the global corporation has increasingly
come under attack, as local communities have had to deal with the
consequences of decisions made completely outside their sphere of
infl uence. Leaders of a car manufacturer may strive for optimum use
of the company ’ s resources, whatever the locale may be, but it ’ s the
little person who has to bear the brunt of a plant closure in his or her
hometown.
Psychological consequences can be every bit as tough to take as plant
closures, and yet global managers often ignore what might be called the
cultural repercussions of their actions. A hire - and - fi re mentality that is