Leadership in Action: For Global managers, A World of Difference

Flexibility Is Key

To sum up, managers in international organizations, whether their responsibilities are global or domestic, need to be able to assume the roles of decision maker, spokesperson, leader, and negotiator. Global managers, however, must have the flexibility to play these roles differently when dealing with different cultures and to cope with the associated stress and pressure. Additionally, managers who manifest the traits of emotional stability and conscientiousness are more likely to be rated as high performers.

When a manager's work shifts to a global scope, he or she needs to be able to play a new role, that of innovator. To be successful the global manager must be able to take the perspective of others and must possess and put ...