Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to point and counterpoint a global business leader who has the leadership characteristics essential to be an excellent global and multicultural leader and to identify one leader whose leadership characteristics is not conducive for a global and multicultural organization. The researcher will explain why each of the leaders was selected as well as identify and describe the characteristics possessed by each individual. In addition the researcher will discuss what leadership characteristics the selected leaders’ posses that match an ideal leader. Finally, the researcher will compare and contrast the leadership characteristics of both selected leaders.
Why the Two Leaders were selected
The reasons the researcher selected Mr. Akio Toyoda and Mr. Bernard L. Madoff as the successful and unsuccessful global business leaders because, both come from humble beginnings. In addition, both leaders come from different cultural background and ethnic groups. Mr. Akio Toyoda started at the bottom and moved from lower positions to the top position in within Toyota as Mr. Toyoda is the founder’s grandson. Mr. Bernard L. Madoff built the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities from the ground into a very powerful organization and the majority of Mr. Madoff family served in key leadership position. Mr. Toyoda earned a Master in Business Administration where as Mr. Madoff earned a bachelor in political science (Fogelson, 2010; McGee, 2007; Cresswell & Thomas, 2009; Czarny, 2009; Baldwin, 2010)
Global Business Leader Leadership Characteristics
Leadership Characteristics Essential for an Excellent Global Leader
Mr. Akio Toyoda is the president of Toyota Motor. Headquarter in Brussels, Belgium; To...
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The modern world has experienced tremendous changes, which have contributed to changes in people living in the global world. These changes have mainly been brought by globalization, which is a major phenomenon in the 21st Century. Leaders across various professions, businesses, and governments need to cope with globalization since it forces them to cross borders more often and communicate or conduct business with people from other cultures. This process involves developing necessary skills for working effectively in the modern complex world. Actually, the ability of these leaders to work effectively not only requires the development of essential skills but the application of leadership principles in the global work environment. In essence, leaders must develop their ability to apply leadership principles across culturally diverse workforce in today’s global work environment.
Constant technological and global changes create challenges that forces leaders to manage different cultures in different countries. People, goods, services, and ideas are moving today at greater speeds which mean our labor force is becoming more diverse and multicultural by the day. Effective leaders need to understand such global dynamics in order to successfully manage organizational cultures. The cultures of leaders and their core assumptions might be different from the values and assumptions of employees in a different country. Two managers working for the same global company might see things differently due to their backgrounds and cultural values. The different countries, in which the organization operates, will have different cultures depending on the social, economic, and political history of the country. Managing and understanding these differences need an effective cross-cultural thinking leader (Yukl, 2013). Some research questions that Yukl, 2013 suggests are: 1) how behavior differs across cultural values and for different countries? 2) How values and behaviors are influenced by personality across company and country? 3) What types of traits, skills, and experience are most useful to prepare a leader being assigned to a new country? 4) How does the fast-changing culture in developing countries affect and relate to
Post-bureaucratic leadership is ‘the process of controlling, motivating and inspiring staff’ (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011, p. 126), whereas globalisation refers to ‘the increase in financial integration of economies around the world’ (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011, p.612). As such the practice of leadership is an integral component in all aspects of an organization as it can determine the success or failure of a business. According to (Punnet 2004) ‘leadership is a key component of all organizations, but its ability and functions have become more difficult with the rise of globalisation during the post-bureaucratic era.’ This essay will examine how the various leadership approaches have contributed to managing globalisation and the effects
Yvon Chouinard is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, legendary climber, and surfer. He is also a writer, writing essays on outdoor climbing issues and ethics, and more recently publishing a book about mixing environmentalism and sound business practice in corporate policies (Green Economy Initiative, 2011). Chouinard is most noted for his clothing and gear company, Patagonia, Inc., where he has constructed a culture that strives to create an ideal working environment where employees thrive and become more productive at the same time. Patagonia’s environmental ethic is outstanding, having founded 1% For the Planet, an alliance of businesses that contribute at least 1 percent of their net annual sales to approved environmental organizations, and is working to revolutionize supply chain transparency in their company. Sustainable business practices have been at the core of the company since it was founded in the late 1950s – long before sustainability and being “green” became buzzwords. Yvon Chouinard is not only a successful business person, but a leader with discipline, vision, and influence.
There are numerous leadership skills leaders utilize within a global organization to integrate inclusion. To create an inclusive organization the leader must consider methods that will influence employees that incorporates a diverse cultural organization. Per Bourke and Dillon (2016), inclusive leadership requires six C’s of success in a global organization. The Cs includes; commitment, curiosity, courage, cognizance, Collaboration and cultural intelligence. Commitment encompasses the leader is driven by fairness. The leader’s beliefs and values motivates them to put energy and time into change the work environment. The leader leads with experiences on how to change the organization into one that is inclusive due to the diverse population of employees. Curiosity provides the leader with determination to constantly strive to learn new things. Leaders that are filled with curiosity have an open-mind, a hunger for knowledge, and a passion for uncovering distinctive concepts (Bourke, 2016). A leader that has courage will ask others for help in the decision-making process. They are not afraid to acknowledge when they need others’ opinions and help. Courage permits the leader to challenge others and utilize their strengths to aid in developing an inclusive
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Change is when a person does not follow their everyday routine. They may want to try something different, or be forced to. Change can be for the good and the bad. Places can deal with change ranging from the weather, to the animals present, or the seasons changing. Also, objects can deal with change too. Objects like an iceberg can start to melt, or a forest fire can kill many trees in an area. As a human, we are the ones deciding on change. We are in a position to make big decisions and possibly even become a leader in order for change to happen. If one person starts to change, others will follow and hopefully, the change benefits all.
Because actions and styles differ across many different organizations and cultures, There is a need for knowledge and leadership to move worldwide. Tubbs and Schultz (2006) assume that the idea for global leadership must allow its leader to address those issues and needs whenever culture presents itself. Behavior bases global leadership a mixture of cultural varied leadership skills because communications and technology has changed the need for global
Globalization has many implications for leadership today and in the future. Global perspectives are being spread to the farthest points in the world and to the most isolated people. People of different cultures come to the United States daily to live, travel, or engage in business. Leaders must respond to this challenge of globalization so they can effectively reach out to as many people as possible. Opening themselves to the world's changes allows leaders to compare and contrast their culture with the arts, language, beliefs, customs, philosophies, and ways of living of other people. By observing and questioning another culture, leaders can understand the origin of an individual's viewpoints and become more sensitive to the cultural needs of that individual. By continually exposing themselves to other cultures, young leaders can thoroughly develop this global perspective and devote themselves to making connections with the entire world.
Ethnicities: Similarly, ethnicity increases significantly on a global market compared to a national. Depending on race, some leaders will have complications enforcing their ideas or opinions. According to Research Center for Leadership in Action, studies have shown that a work environment consisted of generally white race struggle to accept the leadership of a black male/female. (Ospina & Foldy, 2018) Even though, both national leaders face this challenge, it becomes more alarming when faced globally.
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Leadership is defined as a process by which an individual influences others to obtain goals. There are three aspects that should be addressed when explaining leadership. One aspect is that leadership is a social influence process; leadership could not exist without a leader and one or more followers. Another leadership aspect is compliance; all of the leader’s directions must be complied with voluntarily. Compliance is what separates leadership from other influence-based formal authority. Finally, leadership results in the followers’ behavior, that is purposeful and goal-directed which must be in some organized setting (Leadership Theories and Studies, 2009).
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