10 capabilities needed for global leaders

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Last Updated on March 3, 2022 by Coach M

Many companies are expanding their business activities from domestic to overseas, and the opportunity to work with people across the country is increasing, and with rapid globalization, there is a growing need for leaders who can play an active role on the world stage.

1. What is a global leader?

A global leader is a leader who plays an active part on the world stage.

A person who works with people of different countries and cultures, who are diverse, lead teams, and work to achieve the goals of the organization.

2. What are the capabilities of being a global leader?

Variety of skills are required to be active globally not to mention leadership and management skills

When I left Japan 10 years ago and started working in Southeast Asia, the first challenge I encountered was that my work didn’t work well because of the miscommunication that came from differences in language, culture, thinking, and working.

When I was in Japan, I took it for granted that people understand what I said and ment, but that didn’t work here.

The boss, the subordinate, and the business partner did not work as I expected.

I don’t have anyone to talk to about my problem in business. However, the expectation from the top hangs heavily.

I was lucky enough to overcome my extreme stress and distrust of people by meeting my life mentor during this difficult time.

And I realize how spoiled I had been in the environment when I was in Japan, and at the same time I thought about what skills and abilities I needed to ssucceed in this enviroment.

So from my experience, I would like to list the capabilities necessary for global leaders.

2-1. Leadership Skills

目標を上げチームのモチベーションを維持し、引っ張て行き、結果を出す能力。

2-2. Self-leadership skills

人をリードする前に自分をリードできないとよいリーダーになれません。

自分をリードするとは、明確な目標をもち、自分の信念と価値観を知っていて、感情に流されず、客観的に自分を見ることができ、自分を律することができること、つまり自分の軸を持つことです。

2-3. English proficiency

当然ですが、英語はできればできるほどコミュニケーションには有利です。ただ単に英語が話せるよりも、コミュニケーション能力の高いほうが重要。どんなに言語が通じても、能力のないリーダーにはついていきません。

2-4. Communication skills

言語、非言語によるコミュニケーション能力はグローバルリーダーにとって一番大事といっても過言ではないです。

仕事上の問題の多くはミスコミュニケーションが原因です。

日本から海外へ出て間もないビジネスパーソンをコーチングしていると、それぞれ同じような悩みを抱えて苦労されています。

such as

現地社員とのミスコミュニケーションで仕事が回らない。結局ほとんど自分がカバーする羽目に。

I can’t do my job the way I want between the head office and the local board.

There is no one to discuss the problem of work.

I don’t know what to do because the ways I’ve been doing don’t work here.

Because the language is not able to be transmitted, the instruction is not transmitted well.

you can see that most of them are from communication problems.

Japan has a culture of “read the air” or “sence it without I saying”, but this is impossible unless you are a mind-reading person.

特に海外では自分の意見は的確に、論理的に誰にでもわかるように伝えることが必要です。

2-5. Be able to talk about the history and culture of your country

海外にいると、自国についての質問を良くされます。自分の国の文化を理解することは、相手の国の文化を理解し、コミュニケーションギャップをうめるうえでも必要になります。例えば日本にいたらわからない日本独特の仕事文化(長い時間仕事をすることを良しとする、上司に意見をあまり述べない、会社への忠誠心など)を知ることで、相手の困惑を理解し、お互いのギャップをうめることができます。

2-6. Flexibility

多様な文化や考え方の存在するグローバルな環境の中で仕事をするには、柔軟に適応し、新しいことを吸収、学習し続けなくてはいけません。

It is natural that successful experiences in your home country do not work in different cultures. You need the flexibility to change the way you do things and learn new ways of doing things and not to be caught up in the past.

2-7. Ability to continue learning

日本は自分の意見をストレートに上司に言える環境は少ないと思いますが、海外はこれが普通な国も多いです。オープンマインドでフィードバックを素直に受け取り、より成長するために学習し続けられること。自分が知らないことを知り、認め、吸収できる素直さを持つと飛躍的に成長できます。

2-8. A sense of adventure

多様な文化の環境で、自分の能力を試そうと思う好奇心。チャレンジを楽しめる冒険心。そして、異文化に対する興味を持つことで、自分の置かれた環境をポジテイブに捉えることができます。そしてポジテイブに考えられることは、物事を良い方向に導きます。

2-9. Ability to control emotions (EQ)

グローバルリーダーには高いEQ(心の知能指数)が必要です。異なる文化を持つ相手を理解し、共感することで、信頼関係の構築ができます。また不慣れな環境の中で自分のストレスをマネジメントできることも重要です。常に意思決定を迅速にしなくてはいけないリーダーたちは、感情で物事を決めないように冷静さを保つ術を学ぶことも大事です。

2-10. Presence

さて、上記の能力を付けることで自然と存在感のオーラが出てきますが、さらに意識して自分の外見や立ち振る舞いを世界で活躍するビジネスリーダーに相応しくすることで、より周囲への影響力を強めることができます。

Summary

Every time I go back to Japan, I am impressed by the beauty, the politeness of the people, and the perfect work.

Japan is a beautiful country that respects ”Harmony’.

But at the same time, people seem to be suffering without individuality.

It is important to respect harmony in being part of an organization, but in working with diverse people, it is also important to express your opinion steadfastly at the same time.

“Japanese people are hard to understand and don’t know how to deal with their work.”

I often hear this opinions from my friends and business acquaintances.

I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of world-class global leaders from Japan who are well balanced by developing the wonderful parts of Japan and incorporating the good parts of Japan.

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