By speaking English, no matter how loud you can speak, how hard you convince your audience, you are not what you think you are. A world class manager is a manager who makes change, not someone who is influenced by change. A world class manager is the one who plans for changes, who combines a system that facilitates the changes, who empowers the workforce to make change and who appreciates successful change. To be a global player, you need a long process that is basically rooted in your ‘mindset’.
Let’s look at the characteristics of a successful global leader.
| Personal | Relations with work | Intellectual/Social |
| Patient, persistent | Able to think work as a system | Intellectual and social curiosity |
| Emotionally stable | Able to make decision in uncertainty | Good in establishing rapport |
| Able to accept failure | Able to cope in cultural barriers | Have knowledge on history and social development |
| Open minded | Able to be a respected model | Being sensitive to other’s values |
| Have a sense of humor | Able to anticipate business hints | Have high motivation to work across border |
| Humble | Able to adapt management style | |
| High Imaginative | Technically competent |
Source : Mary O’Hara Devereaux & Robert Johansen, “Global Work”
- Learn more about summary of Asian and Western values and evaluate yourself. What values influence you more?
- It might be worthwhile if you take the advice of some wise world class managers
“Think Globally, Act Locally”
| Asian Values | Western Values |
| Collectivism | Individualism |
| Harmonious relationship | Self- actualization |
| Hierarchies and power distance | Democratic |
| Low tolerance of uncertainty | Tolerance of uncertainty |
| Respect for elders | Respect for merit |
| Respect for status | Respect for achievement |
| Face, sensitivity and feelings | Objective facts and data |
| Indirect; third party assistance | Direct to the point; one to ones |
| Shame culture – external control | Guilt culture internal control |
| Modesty and humility | Winning, assertive, active and outspoken |
| Guarded; limited disclosure | More disclosure |
| Consensus seeking | Consultative; debate |
| Collaboration | Competitiveness |
| Personal and group face | Personal pride and self-esteem |
| Relationship focussed | Task focussed |
| Family spirit; unity | Role and boundary definition |
| Time is life | Time is money |
| Being | Doing |
| Humanistic, spiritual fulfillment | Mechanistic and materialistic |
Source : Robert Burns, “Doing Business in Asia”
