Global Leadership in the Present and Future

Do people in different countries and cultures look for the same qualities in their leaders as people do in the United States? Asked another way, are qualities of effective leadership universal or do they vary by culture? This is one consideration addressed in this, the final week in your course. A second consideration has to do with leadership in a global society and what it takes to lead in a country where the borders are permeable and/or leaders' decisions affect people well beyond their boundaries. This phenomenon might be called global leadership. And a final concern: What do you think leaders of the future might look like? Do you think that the information you learned throughout this course will be relevant for leaders 10 or 50 years down the road? This final week, you entertain these considerations and concerns: leadership in different cultures, leadership in a global society, and leaders of the future. You also revisit the thoughts you had about leadership when you first began this course.

Learning Objectives- By the end of this week, you should be able to:

• Analyze the characteristics of effective leadership in a variety of countries and cultures
• Analyze characteristics, skills, and strategies for effective leadership in a global society
• Analyze characteristics of leaders of the future
• Evaluate the determinants of leadership
• Identify and apply concepts related to change, trends, and leadership of the future

Please proceed to the Learning Resources.

Learning Resources-

Please read and view (where applicable) the following Learning Resources before you complete this week's assignments.

Readings

• Course Text:Manning, G., & Curtis, K. (2015). The art of leadership (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
• Chapter 4, "The Importance of Vision and the Motive to Lead"
• Article: Dickson, M., Den Hartog, D., & Mitchelson, J. (2003). Research on leadership in a cross-cultural context: Making progress, and raising new questions. The Leadership Quarterly, 14, 729-768. Retrieved from http://www.vnseameo.org/zakir/crossculture.pdf
• Article: Lorange, P. (2003). Developing global leaders. BizEd, 5, 24-27. Retrieved fromhttp://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=10760721&site=ehost-live&scope=site

• Article: Kets De Vries, M., & Florent-Treacy, E. (2002). Global leadership from A to Z: Creating high commitment organizations. Organizational Dynamics, 30(4), 295-309.

Use the PsycINFO database, and search using the article's title.

• Article: Hernez-Broome, G., Hughes, R., & The Center for Creative Leadership. (n.d.). Leadership development: Past, present, and future. Human Resource Planning. Retrieved September 25, 2009, fromhttp://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/cclLeadershipDevelopment.pdf
• Article: Criswell, C., & Martin, A. (2007). 10 trends: A study of senior executives' view on the future. Retrieved from the Center for Creative Leadership's Web site:http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/TenTrends.pdf

Optional Resources-

Readings

• Article: Mind Tools. (2009). Hofstede's cultural dimensions: Understanding workplace values around the world. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm
• Article: Russette, J., Scully, R., & Preziosi, R. (2008). Leadership across cultures: A comparative study.Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 7, 46-61. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Websites

World Economic Forum Videos - http://www.weforum.org/s?s=videosindex.htm

This website provides links to videos from the World Economic Forum annual meetings. The Forum strives to build and lead global communities, and inspire strategic insights in leaders that enable them to lead more effectively.

Media-

Note: Because of the ever-changing nature of websites such as those listed below, there is no guarantee that clips will always be available. Hence, the following links are listed as Supplemental Resources only. However, it is highly recommended that you view them, as they will assist you in completing one or more of your assignments.

• Video: Impact Consulting and Development. (2008). Global leadership dialogue. Retrieved fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9DzYZfnedg

In this clip, leaders share key factors for success in a global environment.

With these Learning Resources in mind, please proceed to the Discussion.

Leadership in a Global Environment

When you consider leadership in a global environment, two main issues may come to mind. First, different countries and parts of the world approach leadership differently. Different cultural backgrounds influence leaders' values, characteristics, and styles. The assigned article, " Research on Leadership in a Cross-Cultural Context: Making Progress, and Raising New Questions" reviews studies about the influence of culture on leadership. This article emphasizes the work of psychologist Geert Hofstede and The Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project. Hofstede identified five cultural dimensions that help to explain differences in what is valued in leaders in different cultures and countries. The GLOBE project expanded these dimensions to nine and identified them as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, humane orientation, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, assertiveness, gender egalitarianism, future orientation, and performance orientation.

The second issue to consider in global leadership is that leaders are not limited to interactions within their own countries and cultures. As a result of technology and a global economy, leaders are expected to interact seamlessly with leaders across the globe as easily as they interact with leaders in their communities. It is valuable to consider the characteristics, skills, and strategies necessary to lead in this environment.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the article, "Research on Leadership in a Cross-Cultural Context: Making Progress, and Raising New Questions." Pay particular attention to the Hofstede and GLOBAL cultural dimensions. Think about what it takes to be a leader in different countries and cultures, that is, the characteristics of leadership that are valued in different countries and cultures.
• Review "Developing Global Leaders" and note the five central strategies for developing global leaders.
• Review "Global Leadership from A to Z: Creating High Commitment Organizations." Focus on the section titled, "Global Leadership."
• Select one cultural dimension, and think about how it influences leadership effectiveness in two different cultures.
• Think about the characteristics, skills, and strategies that you believe are necessary for an effective leader in a global society.