ABSTRACT
Since the authors began their work on globalization and global leadership, they had the opportunity to work closely with a wide variety of companies and executives on substantial consulting engagements on these topics and on the identification and development of global leaders. The first situation-specific dynamic is that of industry. Repeatedly, the executives we interviewed talked about the impact of industry cycle times or lifecycles on everything from strategy to decision-making to stakeholder management. Industries differ rather dramatically in terms of technology intensity. As Michael Porter and others have demonstrated over the years, structures, competitive intensity, and therefore profitability vary dramatically from one industry to another. The global leadership characteristics that emerged from our interviews were largely driven by the dynamics of dispersion and duality. Perspective is all about how leaders look at the world. It has two subcomponents: embracing uncertainty and balancing tensions.
