ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the many challenges of leading across cultural boundaries. It starts by pointing out that there may be a deficit in the number of leaders able and ready to lead in an international environment. Effective leadership in international companies requires openness, an appreciation of cultural differences, and the ability to bridge differences quickly—all which help to develop culturally synergistic solutions to international management challenges. Non-Western experts have proposed some interesting alternatives to simplistic distinctions between task- and relationship-oriented leader behaviors. The chapter considers transformational leadership, a recent and increasingly popular perspective in the US and elsewhere. Some experts say that the most successful international managers are transformational leaders. The path–goal leadership approach predicts that leadership effectiveness is contingent on matching leadership style to a particular business situation. The chapter concludes by examining cross-cultural leadership development from a multinational company perspective.
