have failed to realize this. Global leadership requires a combination of strong business skills along with robust intelligence from regions around the world.’ Alexander Collot d’Escury is CEO of Desso, a global carpets, carpet tiles and sport pitches company, operating in more than 100 countries. He believes it is vital leaders think globally. ‘What is challenging today for many business leaders is that we are going through immense economic and social change as a result of the recession and the rebalancing of global wealth towards the rising economies in Asia, Latin America and elsewhere. It is creating tensions and different realities depending on where you are,’ he told Dialogue. So what, in the executives view, is the ‘Holy Grail’ of global leadership and what should corporates strive for in their c-suites? Andorfer, a German native, is based at Bosch’s UK head office The realities facing Alexander Collot d’Escury, CEO of Desso, a global carpets, carpet tiles and has completed a number of global leaders and sport pitches company international placements for the Dialogue spoke exclusively to organization, as well as having business leaders in organisations a previous role as sales and marketing director at United taking the tentative steps towards beginning Automotive Electronics Shanghai, based in China. global expansion, and to managers that have been He believes that to achieve truly global leadership, responsible for building international business empires, corporates have to offer their senior managers to find out from them the elusive secrets to global international placements to prepare them to make the leadership success. right decisions. What are the issues facing global business leaders on a ‘At Bosch, we are constantly adapting in order to help day-to-day basis? our people to develop and move toward true global Andreas Andorfer, global general manager, power leadership qualities.’ tools – lawn and garden, at engineering and electronics He is of the view that having localized leaders helps company, Bosch, explains: ‘One of the realities of today’s to bring into the company, market needs and the world is that it is getting more and more global. People understanding of the country’s own people. are travelling more often and further afield than ever In 2011, Purple Cubed’s Sunley appointed Lynne before, and products and components are being sent to Bellinger as managing director of the company’s branch and received from every corner of the world. in Dubai. ‘A business, no matter how small or big, is directly or Bellinger explains: ‘A global leader should demonstrate indirectly affected by the global conditions. how an international mindset will benefit individual ‘For a company such as Bosch, internationalization is regions, looking at the areas where parity is essential and reflected in our business environment, which means we where there can be global variations. This is all about have customers, suppliers and colleagues from all over exploring the benefits of working together and identifying the world. In such a multinational and diverse company how regions can impact upon one another. To do so, a as Bosch, the leadership structure is global – with all the global leader will need an open, sharing mindset and this benefits and challenges that come with it.’ comes down to establishing a healthy culture.’ But Jane Sunley, global CEO of people engagement organization PurpleCubed, is concerned about the failure of global leadership to date. ‘There’s little doubt that the Culturally savvy European financial crisis, which started in 2008, came as Bellinger adds: ‘To further support staff, recruit the right a result of leadership failures,’ she explains. cultural and businesses fit in all locations. Then allow ‘It could be argued that traditional leadership models capable and trusted teams and organizations to put their have become less relevant and many organizations regional spin on things and share experiences/results. would have the ‘forced informality’ of having their meetings without neck ties to ensure that all the leaders were dressed similarly – and no one was insulted. These are, of course, generalisations, but they form only the beginning of the lengthy list of potential pitfalls for global businesses and, as such, corporates need strong, decisive, informed leaders to steer them through the international minefield. Take US electronics giant Best Buy, for example. It closed its UK operations in 2011, just 18 months after launching there, because its leaders were unable to quickly and effectively adapt their US-style retail model, for a UK client base during a recession. Best Buy wanted to offer great customer service, but failed to recognise UK customers wanted to buy electrical products online. The evidence oulined above suggeststhat managers are still failing to think globally.
What is challenging today for many business leaders is that we are going through immense economic and social change as a result of the ongoing recession and the rebalancing of global wealth towards the rising economies