This document discusses challenges in developing a global leadership program. It addresses how to define leadership across cultures within an organization. Key points include: 1) Defining leadership requires input from top executives to create a baseline profile and then testing it across business units and cultures. 2) Understanding differences in work cultures within and between geographic locations is important for defining leadership. 3) Creating a global leadership pool requires aligning profiles of current leaders with leadership definitions from different cultures within the organization.

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Global Leadership Development
Talent Management
CapitalWave Inc. | White Paper
March 2010
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Table of Contents:
Global Leadership Development (GLD): Distance …………………………………………………….…3
GLD 2: Defining Leadership across Cultures …………………………………………………………………..4
GLD 3: Creating a Global Bench …………………………………………………………………..5
GLD 4: Training and Coaching Methods …………………………………………………………………..6
GLD 5: Budgets and Workforces …………………………………………………………………………..….8
GLD 6: Obtaining Buy‐In in a Global Environment …………………………….……………………...…9
GLD 7: Managing the Program …………………………………………….….…….11
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3. Global Leadership Development (GLD): pool in the U.S. may be at work when the
Distance pool in Europe or the Middle East is heading
home for the day. One way to bridge
Leadership development, like traditional distance is to offer your informational
training and development, faces traditional training online and then have the pool meet
challenges such as distance, culture, to discuss via a web conference. Blogs and
diversity, design and delivery methods, discussion boards are also helpful to groups
along with budgets and workforces. We are who are separated by distance or time.
going to take a look at the challenges you
may face when implementing a global Along those same lines, consider how you'll
leadership development program, starting bring the pool together for meetings,
with one of the most obvious challenges: networking, and coaching. Coaching is
distance. If you are a local organization, you probably the easiest distance challenge:
probably won’t deal with distance. But coaches can be chosen based on their
consider those organizations that have proximity to the pool, making one‐on‐one,
members spread out over a wide face‐to‐face sessions possible. Even
geography, and even across international networking meetings can be scheduled to
borders. Developing their leadership occur between group members who are in
program may be a little more difficult, the same geographic areas. But to make the
starting with the distance that separates program truly global, you must figure out a
them. way to mix the entire pool at various points
during the program. Web conferencing is a
Any leadership development program is good way to do this. If the pool is small
going to require regular meetings and enough, the discussion can occur via
training, not to mention networking and webcam. If not, a web conference with
coaching. So what can you do to truly train interactive features will work. The idea here
leaders 'at a distance'? We will discuss the is to be prepared for the distance challenge
development and design of global before you even start the program.
leadership development training in an
upcoming section. But before you get to Distance can also create a gap in culture.
that point, you must think about how you'll This is most obvious between groups in
bring that group together. In today's different countries. Obviously the way the
environment, training can be delivered in organization does business in the U.S. is
many different ways, including online and going to be different than the way it
via web conference. The first challenge is operates in Asia or the Middle East. Your
creating a program that lends itself to a program has to bridge this cultural
distance format. If your organization is difference, in both education and network.
spread out in different countries or When you develop your program, be sure
geographic areas, think about the budget to include pieces that explain the difference
strain that may occur if you try to bring your between the business and organizational
leadership pool together on a regular basis. cultures. Even if leaders don't move across
Also consider the differences in time‐the the cultures, each person in the pool will
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4. benefit from knowing how the rest of the experience, and work styles of any like
organization functions. group of people. For example, your
organization may be located only in one
Also related to cultural distance is distance geographical location but may have various
in coaching. You may be able to provide cultures in existence. That’s why a
coaches in the same geographic areas, but discussion of global leadership
does this make your program truly global? development can apply to any organization,
For example, after the leadership pool regardless of geographic factors.
progresses, you may want to assign a coach
in Japan to a high‐potential leader in the Along these lines, be aware that there are
U.S. How can you bring the two together differences in cultures not only within one
without paying for the airfare and geographic location but also in varied
accommodation that would come with that geographic locations‐even within the same
meeting? Again, phone, web conference, country. For example, work styles and
and webcam can be just as effective. In a attitudes are different in South Florida than
day and age when even preliminary job they are in the Mid‐Southern states, and so
interviews are being held over the phone or on. Of course, world cultures may be
via webcam, certainly a coaching session completely different, even if everyone
can occur this way, as well. works for the same organization. All of
these factors will contribute to the
A global leadership development program definition of leadership and therefore into
will require your skill and thought in several the definition of your leadership
areas. Distance is only the first, but most development program.
obvious challenge. Before you embark on
the program, analyze the distance between The first step in defining leadership within
the members of your organization on the the organization is to go to the very top,
high level. This way, you'll be prepared to such as the executive team or the training
move forward with your program ready for department’s executive sponsor. These
the challenge of distance. Next, we will groups typically can create a profile of a
discuss another aspect of distance: the leader within your organization. What
concept of leadership across cultures. traits, attitudes, and education create that
profile? If a person wants to be a part of the
GLD 2: Defining Leadership across Cultures succession plan, how can he or she create a
self‐development plan to get there? Does
We’ve discussed distance in relation to a the organization believe that leadership can
global leadership development program, appear at all levels, and in all forms, such as
but let’s take the discussion a little deeper. high‐professional and high‐potential
When training for leadership across leaders? Once this general profile is
cultures, it’s necessary to be mindful of the created, you can move on to the definition
fact that the concept and definitions of of leadership across the cultures that exist
leadership may be different across cultures. in your organization.
And before we proceed, let’s define a
“culture”. In the sense of training and The next step in the definition of leadership
development, a culture is the attitudes, is to take the overall leadership profile and
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5. “test” it on the leaders of other parts of the program until you have solidified your
organization. If you haven’t defined the organization’s definitions of leadership
“other parts” of the organization, do that across cultures. Obviously the definition of
first. For example, is the organization leadership will change as the organization
divided into business units that spread changes priorities and goals. With that in
across geography, or is each geographical mind, ensure that each leadership
location a division unto itself, with its own definition creates a profile of a person who
business units? Once you have that frame can help the organization meet its overall
to work with, you can go to existing leaders mission. Once you have these definitions,
and ask them how the overall organization’s you have overcome one of the major
definition of leadership fits in with their challenges to global leadership
culture. Those leaders may want to add development.
characteristics that accurately reflect their
culture, however, try not to subtract any GLD 3: Creating a Global Bench
characteristics that already exist. If the
profile that you’ve already created doesn’t After dealing with the challenges of
mesh well with other leaders’ definitions, distance and culture, the next challenge for
then you may have more than a training global leadership development is how to
issue at hand. create a leadership bench or pool that is
truly global in scope. When you took the
Another way to get a good view of time to define leadership across the
leadership around your organization is to do cultures that exist within your organization,
some assessment and research yourself. For you may have also begun to see potential
example, if your organization has succession patterns developing. We will
operations in Asia, it’s probably a good idea discuss making leaders mobile later, but we
to do some general research on business will confine this discussion to the overall
attitudes in the particular country or creation of a global bench.
countries you’re working with. If you
already have contacts in the business units The first step is to create the pool or bench.
across the organization, use those contacts From the definitions you’ve collected, you
to discover what attitudes currently exist in should be able to create profiles of existing
the business units. Once you have your leaders within the organization. Plus,
profiles pulled together, you’ll be able to existing leaders may be able to begin
figure out the basis for the definition of choosing those professionals who can fit
leadership at your organization. In addition, the leadership definition after going
you’ll have a leadership definition that will through the development program. These
work across the cultures that exist, even if people can begin to fill the leadership pool
you have to add to that leadership profile. or bench. Obviously getting them through
the program you will create is going to be
As you are creating your organization’s the first, and biggest, step to preparation.
definition of leadership, remember that you But how are you going to plan for
are starting a global program that should succession across a diverse workforce?
have a long‐term reach. Try not to begin
building the leadership development
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6. There are many ways to create a bench and Another issue that comes along with the
plan for succession if your organization is global leadership bench is the idea of how
geographically diverse. First, consider the to label your leadership benches or pools.
feasibility of creating leaders within a We are all familiar with high professional
country or region‐and to have them and high potential leaders, but do those
“earmarked” for those countries or regions. labels “translate” to other cultures? Plus, if
If this isn’t quite where the organization you’ve chosen to go business unit by
wants to go, consider creating the business unit, do you truly want to label
leadership bench that will prepare for your leaders or do you just want to place
succession across all cultures within the them as people who will eventually take
organization. This may mean that part of over management, executive, or other
the development program will be leadership roles within the organization?
temporary rotations into the person’s area
of expertise or interest, as long as that Another challenge related to the leadership
rotation is outside of his or her normal bench is how to coach from a global
region or culture. perspective, which we have touched on and
will touch on again. Coaching or mentoring
When you analyze the populations that are very important aspects of a leadership
exist within the organization, the next step development program. But these aspects
is to figure out if any patterns exist. For can be made more difficult by the
example, is there a high concentration of challenges of a global organization. Are you
high‐potential leaders in any one area? Or, going to create a coaching network within
on the other hand, is there a high the geographic locations, or are you going
concentration of high‐professional leaders to use technology to extend coaching to all
in any one area? How can you prepare corners of your organization?
these groups for the mobility of a global
bench? Is part of the leadership program at The challenge with creating a global
your organization the acceptance of the fact leadership bench is making leaders mobile‐
that a leadership position could take a or at least preparing them for mobility. If
person anywhere in the organization’s leaders are aware of the mobility
entire system? requirement, you may be able to weed out
those who are truly not interested in
With these factors in play, you should also succession. On the other hand, and this
consider how you’ll give the leadership pool goes back to labeling your benches, you
a “local” feel even though it’s not a local may find that high professional leaders who
group. For example, you may determine are content staying where they are can be
that actual cultural, business, and even great contributors to the organization and
language training may be necessary before its succession plan.
a particular candidate can take a position in
the leadership bench. With this type of The next challenge in global leadership
training, in addition to the development development is the creation of training and
program, a potential leader can take on coaching, as well as the methods of design
“local” characteristics. and delivery.
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7. GLD 4: Training and Coaching Methods classroom training and seminars along with
face‐to‐face coaching and networking
Now that you've determined how to build opportunities. If the cost is effective, this is
your global leadership bench, you must always a good methodology.
make the determination of which coaching
and training methods you'll use‐and begin What if your organization's leaders are
the process of developing the program. As spread out over diverse geography? Also,
with any program, there are a wide variety keep in mind that in today's economic
of options available in terms of climate travel and classroom training may
development and delivery. Since your not be a possibility, even for organizations
leadership development program is to be whose leaders are close in physical
truly global in scope, your choice of training distance. If this is the case for your
and coaching methods could be a 'make or leadership program, consider the
break' for the program and its participants. alternatives to traditional approaches.
Informational pieces or case studies can
First, consider all of the options available. always be delivered online or via email. But
For leadership development, the when it comes time to 'sit down' together
possibilities may be endless. In person, and discuss the information, what are
classroom training is always a good option. effective methodologies? Web conferences
Informational pieces can be delivered via are good ways to accomplish a personal
the classroom, independent study, or even meeting with geographically diverse
as online learning interventions. populations. If your program has various
Networking for leaders can also occur in learning modules, consider placing those in
person, but also via web conference, blogs, an online format first. For example, if there
or moderated discussion boards. The is a section on Emotional Intelligence,
coaching and mentoring aspects of a create an online program that provides
leadership development program are often information, examples, and case studies.
best in person, but what's to stop you from Then, bring the participants together to
testing out the effectiveness of a web cam if discuss the course via web conference. To
the members of the program are continue the leadership network, consider
geographically diverse? using blogs or monitored discussion boards.
These methods are effective in keeping a
If the options are overwhelming, think discussion going or in introducing new
about your organization first. Are the topics.
potential members of the leadership
program geographically diverse or are they When it comes to coaching potential
in the same location? Again, a global leaders, we've discussed the possibility of
program does not have to be a program placing mentors and coaches in close
that exists in multiple regions or countries; proximity to the members of the leadership
a global leadership program will prepare group. But if this is not feasible, or may not
the organization's leaders for whatever be in keeping with your organizations
challenges come their way. If your leaders leadership goal, you may want to consider
are close in proximity, consider traditional using alternative methods for coaching, as
training and coaching methods, that is, well. For example, web cam coaching
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8. sessions can occur from desk to desk very GLD 5: Budgets and Workforces
easily, as can web conference sessions.
Coaches and participants can keep track of One of the biggest challenges to any
each other via email or text, as well. training program is budget. In today's
environment, training budgets have been
When you are looking at potential training slashed and it may be difficult to obtain
and coaching methods for a global further funding. And in those budget cuts,
leadership development program, the first sometimes only the most essential of
thing to consider is the feasibility of your training programs can continue to be
methods. The second thing is to consider offered. So the challenge for a global
what learning methods may work better for leadership program may be obtaining a
your global audiences. As we have budget, much less obtaining more money to
discussed, cultures vary from business unit complete the program. One of the first
to business unit and from region to region. considerations in the area of budget is
As cultures vary, so do learning methods simply whether or not the budget can
and styles. Take some time to determine support a global scale leadership
what types of learning interventions have development program. If the answer is
worked for each population you are trying questionable, you may have to work hard to
to reach‐and see how those methods can obtain buy in, which we will discuss in the
be used in your leadership development future.
program.
To begin looking at your budget
A final consideration is the overall goal of possibilities, you probably will want to
your leadership program. What are you determine how you will create your
trying to accomplish? Are you truly going leadership bench, as well as how you will
for leadership development and succession train and coach those individuals. If you
planning, or are you starting with the have made this determination, consider
introduction of leadership concepts at all creating a matrix of training and coaching
levels and building a more comprehensive methods, as well as network and group
plan as you go along? The answers to these meeting costs. Tailor your matrix to your
questions may help you determine your optimal situation and then work your way
training and coaching methods, as well. For down the list, eliminating the areas that
example, if you are simply introducing the prove to be too costly. When you take the
concept of leadership, local instructor led time to complete this exercise, you'll know
courses and online interventions may serve exactly what to ask for‐and how to explain
the purpose until the full program is up and the costs of the program.
running.
Sometimes you may be able to be creative
Next, we will look at the challenges of when working with a budget and training
workforces and budgets. methodologies. For example, if you had
your heart set on having in person meetings
between the members of the leadership
program, but the cost of travel is too high,
think about how you can substitute another
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9. methodology. In the case of travel or in‐ they may see the program as too exclusive
person meetings, consider substituting web or even as an interruption to their everyday
conferencing. Determine the cost and then jobs. Again, the best way to deal with this
see how well the new methodology fits into challenge is to explain the program in terms
your program. In today's environment, of benefits that are appropriate to the
don't shut your organization out of a audience.
beneficial program simply because it
doesn't quite fit the way you envisioned it. In some ways, the prospect of the challenge
If you absolutely need to ask for more posed by budgets and audiences may be
money, you'll need to make the enough to convince you to put your
determination of how the desired program on hold. Try not to let this
leadership program meets organizational challenge disturb you to that point. In
needs‐and helps the organization to achieve today's environment, leadership at all levels
its goals. We'll talk about this when we is a necessity, just like new hire orientation
discuss the challenge of obtaining buy‐in for or regulatory training. If you feel like this
your program. challenge may be too much to overcome,
sit down and analyze the situation.
Facing a workforce with a new or improved Understand that after a leadership program
program, especially a leadership is underway, the organization will benefit
development program, is a challenge that is from succession planning, retention, and
often related to budgets. In some cases, you interest in furthering careers instead of
may have to take the program that the looking for the next best position. And most
budget allows, although it may not be likely, these benefits will occur in all regions
exactly what you wanted, and 'sell' it to the and at all levels.
audience. As with any program, the best
way to do this is to concentrate on the Next, we will take a look at obtaining buy in
benefits that can be obtained from being for a global leadership development
involved with the program. But since this is program.
a global program, your approach may have
to be different for each organization, GLD 6: Obtaining Buy‐In in a Global
business unit, or region. You've already Environment
analyzed what learning methodologies
'speak' to certain audiences. Plus, you've All of your best plans for the creation of a
investigated the cultures of each of your global leadership development program
audiences. With this knowledge, you'll be may be meaningless if you do not obtain
able to deal with the workforce in a way the buy in of key individuals or groups. Any
that is appropriate to them. organizational development program needs
this buy in and approval, but a truly global
Obviously, if the concept of leadership program is probably going to require more
development is new to the audience, you work on your part; after all, your key
may have to take special care in the delivery individuals and groups are probably just as
of your message. For example, some diverse as your program itself. Let’s look at
audiences may feel that they are doing just the best process to use when looking for
fine without the leadership program. Or buy in from those key groups.
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10. First, it is absolutely necessary to define the Also be aware of how each piece of you
individuals and groups from whom you program impacts the overall goals and
need to obtain buy in or approval. Before mission of the organization‐and of each
we move on, let’s look at the difference region or geographic group the program will
between buy in and approval. You’ll need to touch. As with any training program, a cost‐
obtain buy in from any individual or group benefits approach will get the attention of a
who can push your global leadership group of executives, especially those that
development program forward. This could may control the flow of cash. If you’re
include line managers, key organizational asking for a budget for a global leadership
leaders, executives, and even various work development program for the first time,
groups. The concept of buy in also includes start with the most ideal program
approval, but try not to forget the people components and work from there.
who need to approve the program before it
can move forward. Divide the key people For the purpose of our discussion, we will
and groups within your organization and group managers, line supervisors, and key
determine which ones should “buy in” and regional business leaders together as
which ones should “approve”. Tailor your “stakeholders”. Each person in these groups
presentation to each group, keeping in has a stake in the program, from the cost in
mind the cultural differences you may time and employee presence to the
encounter within the organization and its expected final benefits. Stakeholders may
regions. Most likely, you’ll come up with an be a more difficult sell than your executive
executive group, a stakeholder group, group. Some stakeholders may see a global
managers and front line supervisors, and leadership development program as a
key business leaders throughout your threat to their efficiency or even to their
system. And each group will require you to own control over the groups they manage.
“sell” the global leadership program from a This may be caused by fear over what will
different perspective. happen if some of their employees devote
time to the program, or even fear that the
Many times, the executive group is more individual stakeholder may not get into the
about the cost and benefits of a program. program. If your leadership development
Of course, they want to have a general idea program includes a succession plan, these
of the scope of the program, but overall stakeholders may see the program as an
they want to know how the program will “organized robbery” of their best and
impact the organization’s bottom line. And brightest employees.
obviously they want to know how you’ll do
this in a cost effective way. When you Your reaction to these objections should be
analyzed your budget and potential twofold. First, find a way to meet the
expenses, you created a matrix of methods, individual objection with facts, costs, and
expenses, and overall program needs, as expected benefits. Of course, one of the
well as the cost of each category. Use this best ways to handle objections is to send
as a tool to present to the executive group. out a gentle reminder that the purpose of
For each piece, know what the organization the program is to further the overall
stands to receive, what benefits are going mission of the organization, and that
to come from each piece, and at what cost. everyone involved stands to benefit from a
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11. global impact. Second, your response to in the first stages of the implementation of
objections should take into account the the program. Let’s look at this challenge
regional and cultural differences you’ve from the process standpoint and discuss
already uncovered in your research. No some best practices for managing the global
response to an objection should be leadership development program.
“canned” or across the board in the case of
a global leadership development program. First, take a good look at all of the
components for your program. At the high
But once you obtain the buy in and level you’ll probably have separate
approval of your key groups, you can put components for training, coaching,
those groups to work for the program. Have succession planning, and operations. Is
them “plug” the program to anyone who there a person or group who will naturally
may be a potential candidate, using the manage each one of these components
same benefits you used with the already? If not, decide how each
stakeholder groups. With buy in from component will be managed. For example,
important groups, you’ll see that potential training and coaching most naturally fall to
leaders go through the program with much the training organization. Will you
more ease, and possibly quicker. Your key outsource the training function or keep it
stakeholders will realize the value of taking within your organization? What about
employees off of the line in order to attend succession planning? Do you have a talent
training, coaching, and networking sessions. manager within the training or
And those stakeholders will start to see the organizational development functions, or is
value of the program as the participants the talent manager part of human
develop their leadership work styles. resources? Or are you the de facto talent
manager because of your sponsorship and
The final challenge you may face when management of the leadership
implementing a global leadership development program? Operational
development program is the challenge of components, such as scheduling and travel,
managing the program‐and keeping it are also a factor. Do you have an admin
moving forward. staff that can handle the added
responsibility?
GLD 7: Managing the Program
Second, consider the geography you’ve
You’ve planned, analyzed, obtained buy in, created with the global leadership
and even wrestled with a budget for your development program. For example, did
global leadership development program. you divide the entire organization into
But before you move forward with geographic groups for purposes of the
implementation, you need to determine program? Does each of these geographical
how the program will be managed groups have the manpower to manage each
effectively. As you have moved through the component? Does each group already have
challenges to global leadership a training or organizational development
development, you’ve probably realized that staff that will take on the new responsibility
with each challenge comes a separate of managing the leadership development
program component. Each component will program?
need to be managed, and managed closely
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12. If there is no structure already in place for Regardless of how you decide to manage
managing a global leadership development the program, you should take the time to
program, consider the big step of bringing it visit, inspect, and observe the program in
all under your training or organizational action. This may mean taking on some
development function. This will give you a additional travel and time, but it will give
great “bird’s eye” view of the program, its you a good idea of how things are going. If
implementation, and its progress. Plus, if travel is not an option, be sure to meet with
component managers report to you, you’ll the managers of the geographic locations
have the ability to be closer to the program. on a frequent basis in order to track
With this structure, you can report progress. Along with this, it is very
succession planning and the positioning of necessary to evaluate the program from
the leadership bench to your human various levels. For example, participants
resources department, as well. This way, should complete a level one evaluation for
you’re creating a dual relationship between each component, that is, after each training
your group and the human resources group. program, coaching session, or networking
This relationship will work for the benefit of event. Participants and managers should
each group. also be evaluated down the road to at least
give you higher levels of evaluation. If you
One of the other factors to consider is the do not measure behavioral change for a
tracking of the training component. Will the global leadership development program,
leadership development program be a part you won’t have much to report back to your
of the organization’s learning management executives and stakeholders. After some
system? Will you input groups and career time, you should even attempt to look at
paths into the LMS or will that be tracked the return on investment for the program,
by the organization’s HRIS system? Either as well. Even if you’ve moved only one high
way, be sure to investigate whether those potential leader into a new position, you
systems can be adapted to track a should be able to report the costs and
leadership program or not. Most likely, if benefits of that move.
these systems are already in operation,
they can be utilized to track a global As you move through each challenge to
leadership development program just as global leadership development, you should
easily as any other program. get a clearer picture of how the program
will function within your organization.
© Copyright 2010 CapitalWave Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Bryant Nielson – Strategic Alliance & Acquisitions Director at Financial Training Solutions a division
of CapitalWave Inc – offers 20+ years of training and talent management for executives, business
owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary.
Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for many sales
organizations. Bryant’s 27 year business career has been based on his results‐oriented style of
empowering.
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