Louise a Korver

Markers of Successful Global Leaders Louise a Korver

The talent selection process is fraught with uncertainty given the susceptibility of companies to digital competition and the vulnerability of business models. The ability to move quickly and adapt to changing circumstances requires executives who have developed gut instincts from working across lines of business, staff functions, geographic locations, and have significant coping mechanisms for dealing with uncertainty, paradox, and navigating ambiguity. Executives with the ability to instill trust, respect other's beliefs, adapt socially across different time zones and cultures, demonstrate creativity, and have an even disposition are few and far between. Many of these characteristics are developed from life experiences - and of course, some are based on a person's personality, motive attributes, and raw cognitive ability. Sorting out the differences between who a person is and what a person does is the subject of this study. That is, figuring out how a person's identity is formed based on life experiences and how a career trajectory to the top of an organization may be nurtured from early childhood. A fascinating exploration of effective global leaders and their life stories -and how they motivate, inspire, and enable others to advance their companies and shape entire industries. A must-read for anyone interested in leadership, building a bench of leadership talent, and wondering how early a leader can be identified. The surprising findings in this study are that being at the top of a multinational organization is not often the result of the child growing up in the best of circumstances. In fact, just the opposite seems to be the norm. Through significant analysis across the lifespan of senior executives from multinational organizations, the study identifies the markers of an individual's capacity to lead globally. The Korver Model of Potential Capacity serves as a fresh roadmap for leaders, parents, educators, and leadership development practitioners.