learning to lead

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■ BUSINESS SKILLS INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
LEARNING TO LEAD
Mezinárodní manažeři musí čelit různým problémům. O jaké problémy se jedná a jak se s nimi lze
medium
vyrovnat, vysvětluje BOB DIGNEN.
L
eadership is a complex phenomenon that
means different things to different people. It involves a wide range of competencies: strategic,
technical, communicative and emotional, none
of which alone is sufficient for success. The
meaning of “international leadership” is ambiguous. It
could refer to someone working in their own country
and managing a team made up of different nationalities.
Or, the team could be spread around the globe. Yet another case is that of the manager who is sent abroad to
lead a business unit and who then reports to a manager of a different nationality in a headquarters located in
a third country.
Leaders who take on an international role need to
prepare themselves for four key challenges, which we
look at in the following sections.
major risk of uncertainty is inaction. International
leaders are paid to ensure that action takes place. To do
this, they should empower other managers and project
teams to deliver results, while they themselves take care
of the bigger picture.
But strong organization and fast delivery are not
enough. The ability to stay calm and relaxed, and to tolerate uncertainty and lack of action at times, is essential. International leaders need to be able to work with
loose and flexible goals and with structures that can
adapt over time, as priorities change or if it becomes
clear that defined goals cannot be achieved. Effective
leaders learn quickly what is possible and what is not,
and apply their knowledge creatively and adaptively.
Tips for managing uncertainty:
Ask questions to learn about the people and contexts
you are working with.
■ Make sure people have the information and resources
they need to do their jobs.
■ Build teams that are entrepreneurial and proactive.
■ Keep people focused to deliver on targets.
■ Create and get acceptance for structures that can be
adapted quickly.
■ Check whether anything is still uncertain or missing.4
■
1. Uncertainty
International leaders have to work with people they
don’t know well, often in countries or business units
they have never visited. The use of foreign languages
can also cause misunderstandings. In other words,
leaders have to deal with a great deal of uncertainty.
This creates two contradictory demands. On the one
hand, there is a need to build certainty. This can mean
transferring the correct knowledge to get things done
and establishing clear goals, roles, rules and rewards. A
achieve sth. [E(tSi:v]
adapt [E(dÄpt]
ambiguous [Äm(bIgjuEs]
apply sth. [E(plaI]
business unit [(bIznEs )ju:nIt]
challenge [(tSÄlEndZ]
contradictory
[)kQntrE(dIktEri]
deliver on sth. [di(lIvEr Qn]
empower: ~ sb. to do sth.
[Im(paUE]
ensure sth. [In(SO:]
entrepreneurial: be ~ [)QntrEprE(n§:riEl]
hand: on the one/other ~ [hÄnd]
headquarters [)hed(kwO:tEz]
inaction [In(ÄkS&n]
line manager
[(laIn )mÄnIdZE] UK
objective [Eb(dZektIv]
proactive: be ~ [prEU(ÄktIv]
report to sb.
[ri(pO:t tE]
resources [ri(zO:sIz]
scope [skEUp]
target [(tA:gIt]
the big picture [DE )bIg (pIktSE]
workaround [(w§:kE)raUnd]
36 Business Spotlight
Uncertainty: test yourself
dosáhnout čeho
přizpůsobit (se)
víceznačný
použít
obchodní jednotka
výzva, úloha
rozporuplný, vzájemně si
odporující
zde: splnit
někoho zplnomocnit k čemu
Read this telephone conversation between Jon Dyson, a project
team leader, and Fiona May, a team member. Match each of
the six tips above to the highlighted text that shows the communication tip in action. For the answers, see page 42.
zajistit
smýšlet podnikatelsky
na druhou stranu
ústředí, centrála
nečinnost
přímý nadřízený
Jon:
cíl
chopit se iniciativy
podléhat, být podřízený
komu
prostředky
rozsah
cíl
celkový obraz
řešení (prozatímní)
Jon:
Fiona:
Fiona:
Jon:
Fiona:
Jon:
Fiona:
Jon:
Fiona:
Fiona, (a) do you have everything you need to get started with
the pilot project?
Yes, I think so. I’m just waiting for Pilar to give me her final pre-pilot data.
OK, good. (b) Just to remind you, the pilot should be finished
in three weeks.
I know the objective. Don’t worry. We’ll deliver. I’m just
concerned that we might lose one or two of the team, as they
are under pressure from their line managers.
OK, but that’s life. (c) Try to find a workaround if you can.
Sure, we’ll manage.
Good. Remember: I said right at the beginning of the project
that the team would change a lot as things developed. (d) But
we have to be flexible.
Absolutely. In fact, the scope of the project has been reduced
so we probably don’t need everyone full-time.
Exactly. (e) Anything else? Anything I need to know?
(f) I have a few questions about the Spanish side of the
project, but I’ll put these into an email.
Profimedia
36-40_036-041_BS 9.7.10 10:52 Stránka 37
International leaders
have to learn to
deal with uncertainty,
complexity,
paradoxes and
diversity
Taking your
team with you:
do you have
the qualities?