ABSTRACT
Global leadership has been identified as a critical success factor for large multinational corporations. This chapter provides a sound basis for conceptualizing worldwide leadership differences by using findings from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) research program. It presents a hypothetical case of an American executive in charge of four similar teams in Brazil, France, Egypt, and China to discuss cultural implications for the American executive. Using the hypothetical case involving five different countries provide in-depth action-oriented and context-specific advice, congruent with GLOBE findings, for effectively interacting with employees from different cultures. The chapter examines common cultural dimensions that characterize nations and also discusses why these dimensions are important for the development of global leaders. Tolerance of ambiguity is important attribute of a global leader. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the challenges facing global executives and how corporations can develop useful global leadership capabilities.
