Cross-Cultural Business Leadership

Globalization – the flow of trade, investment, information, and people across national or sovereign boundaries slowed in response to the 2008 recession, but the recent trajectory has returned to the long-term upward climb. Rapid advances in and adoption of information technology have allowed new start-up companies to function in global markets that even ten years ago were only available to mature well-capitalized firms. The complexity generated by the continued economic and cultural convergence of nations requires leaders who are comfortable with increased interdependency of peoples and systems, and who can negotiate and unleash cooperation across divergent cultures.

In a world success, today requires that leaders establish and maintain trust across cultural entities. This is much easier said than done. A leadership model based on universal moral principles, “Principled Global Business Leadership™” (PGBL), offers an ethical values-based approach to considering basic elements of leading through trust across cultures. The webinar will present the model and demonstrate how leaders across four countries can apply it: India, China, South Africa, and Qatar. We will explore the different work styles and practices of each country and how leaders can best prepare for sustained success.

Dr. Michael McDermott’s expertise is in the area of Organizational Behavior, Talent Management, and Leadership Development. Mike served as an HR Executive in four global companies; Capital One, AES, T. Rowe Price and Personnel Decisions International (PDI). In these companies he led enterprise-wide teams in Organizational Effectiveness, HR Strategy, and Leadership Development. His teams delivered exceptional results in the areas of organizational strategy and change, team performance, training, talent management and leadership development.

Mike has consulted with numerous clients on strategic workforce management issues, corporate culture, and leadership development. He has worked with several Boards of Directors to improve their functioning and governance effectiveness. He has consulted extensively to healthcare organizations representing all stages of the continuum of care including, The National Rehabilitation Hospital, MedStar Health, Johns Hopkins, Children’s National Medical Center, Sun Healthcare Group, and Mariner Senior Healthcare.  He authored five guidebooks on critical paths of care for specialized multi-disciplinary clinical treatment teams focused on delivery of quality and cost-effective care. Additionally, he conducts custom research on workforce dynamics and employee engagement in healthcare settings. As the Academic Director, Dr.McDermott has designed executive education programs and taught management competencies in Qatar for the Josoor Institute, the Qatar Football Association, and the Qatar Stars League.