Core Competencies for Leading in Today’s Competitive Diverse Global Economy

Last week I presented a workshop at the Diversity Council of the Carolinas 2011 Conference on Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement. Below is a short summary. Please email me at [email protected] if you would like to schedule me to present a similar workshop for you or for a copy of my presentation.

Over the past 20 years there have been tremendous changes in the global world that has now dictated that we look at the economy though lenses of global and diversity dynamics. These include:

Work teams are now becoming much more diverse and multi-national


• Work teams with all employees co-located together in a single location to virtual global workteams which could include people from several different countries
• US centric sales strategy to now growth coming from fast growing economies in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America. The US economy is now in the bottom half of all nations in year to year growth.
• From a white male American workforce to a workforce that includes more women, people of color and people from various countries.\
• The internet has enabled global sales to anyone anywhere, and web-based supply chain applications has opened up global procurement possibilities.

The internet has enabled tremendous growth in global sales and supply chains

I have studied five different management competency models and have identified eight competencies that appeared in three or more models. A competency is a skill that can be learned and developed. Of those eight competencies, six have a strong global / diversity component:
1. Being able to work across boundaries and to embrace multiple dimensions of diversity
2. Being able to partner, collaborate and team – especially with diverse, global people
3. Empowering, leading, mentoring others – and that includes diverse people and people outside the US that are now in your enterprise
4. Strategic risk taking / entrepreneurial spirit, since stepping out of your comfort zone to engage with a diverse global world does involve taking risk
5. Embracing change and being adaptable since you need to be flexible and able to adjust management style when dealing with a wide diversity of people
6. Being a life-long learner, curiosity – since you need to be willing to learn, stretch and grow in interacting globally.