Do you think developing global leaders is an art or a science? The author argues it is an art. If that is the case, how should companies go about the process of instilling global leadership qualities in their management?

COLUMN HER ORG Brooke Both Brooke is the global vice chair of public policy and executive sponsor of diversity and inclusiveness for the Ernst & Your network. The Art of Developing up unmistakable in great companies' cul- tures. I'm talking about a commitment to Truly Global Leaders inclusive leadership. Leaders who create high-performing teams that are greater than the sum of their parts value difference ecently I was struck by something | home markets. This in turn suggests that as opposed to merely tolerating it. They are the processes by which high potentials are curious about other cultures and know to Ling internationally savvy leaders. developed and international assignments check their own assumptions. They en- Rice is the vice chairman and global opera- are given should be integrated. Other prac- courage discussion, actively engage con- tions head of a multinational that is doing tices include aligning individuals' career flicting points of view, and inspire teams to an excellent job of, as he put it, "optimize goals with overall business strategies, es- think creatively, all while pursuing a com- ing big and global with local." What does it tablishing uniform metrics for talent man- mon mission. take to grow the necessary talent? "It's an agement, and investing in globally consis- Probably most leaders believe they are art and a science," Rice said. tent learning platforms. inclusive. Diversity, after all, is a fact of life What struck me was that in thinking All this is sound advice. My concern, for any global enterprise, and most every- about the leadership shortage hampering based on what I have seen around the one accepts the idea that talented people today's emerging multinationals-compa- world, is that it won't be enough. Unless a come from all backgrounds, genders, ages, nies with global ambitions in rapid-growth company also thinks about the art of global and experiences. But in practice, it takes markets such as Brazil, China, and India- leadership, it will never reach its full poten- time to listen to people express ideas in un- most of us have been focusing too much on tial on the world stage. familiar accents or styles, It takes humility the science and not enough on the art. It's By "art" I mean values and habits that to accept that someone else might have a no secret that these companies struggle are hard to measure or to instill through better idea. It takes patience to mediate a with talent shortfalls. The problems start some step-by-step process but that show clash of cultural assumptions. with senior leadership teams that lack in- Just as companies adopt the tools and ternational experience. Internal manage- It takes time to listen to processes of world-class talent manage- ment pipelines are thin, forcing companies people express ideas in ment, they must think about how to invest to poach talent from rivals, which invites all unfamiliar accents or styles. in these more subtle strengths. Learning the problems of high turnover and salary in- flation. Few have worked out how to reward It takes humility to accept the science of leadership will keep emerg- and retain high performers in markets that that someone else might ing global firms growing. But only by mas- tering the art will they become giants. are foreign to them. And although C-suite have a better idea. HBR Reprint FIZTIE leaders may have a strategic vision of how talent should be cultivated, they aren't al- ways able to spread it through the ranks. Companies in rapid-growth markets are well aware that these problems critically constrain their international expansion. When my organization commissioned a survey of more than Boo business execu- tives working in 35 markets, not even a third of them expressed strong confidence in their top management's ability to build and execute a global talent strategy. So it makes sense that emerging multi- nationals are turning to the science pio- neered by Western companies-the best practices of organizations that have been Internationalizing for decades. Experience suggests, for example, that candidates for ILLUSTRATION: SHOUT promotion to higher management posi- tions must have done stints outside their 34 Harvard Business Review November 2012