From global marketplaces shipping goods between countries to fast-paced remote teams combining talent from all corners of the world, business has never been more international.
This multinational, multicultural nature of today’s companies demands more from business leaders. It’s not enough to build a global team, you need to pre-empt and mitigate the challenges that team will face, from overcoming language barriers to navigating new opportunities, and nurturing their differences while creating cohesion.
We talked to five leaders about how international experience gave them a global perspective that enhanced their leadership abilities, defined their careers, and shaped their personal lives.
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Leading a global business means balancing needs, trends, and opportunities across a wide range of different markets.Having experience in particular regions allows leaders to bring that first-hand perspective to key decisions, but even short periods abroad can significantly benefit team performance.
A by MIT’s Sloan School of Management on the high-pressure world of English football's Premier League found a direct link between a team manager's number of countries worked in and team performance.
For every foreign country a manager had worked in, their team won an extra 1.14 games, or 3.42 points.It’s evidence that global experiences help build some of the fundamental skills needed to lead high-performing teams.
Cultural norms and working styles differ significantly around the globe.
This process of experiencing different ways of working and communicating makes you a more open-minded leader, according to Founder and CEO, .“You’ve got that experience of knowing that there’s a spectrum of styles, all of which can be good; they’re just different,” she adds.That combination of self-awareness and an appreciation for different approaches can help leaders navigate the complexities of a global team.
Anyone who’s lived abroad knows how difficult those first few months of expat life can be.Whether it’s finding a place to live or making a doctor’s appointment, living abroad often involves throwing yourself into the “cold swimming pool” of language and culture, as app Languages CTO, , describes it.
Those types of experiences create a level of comfort with taking a risk and giving it a go. “That mindset of trying something and not being afraid to fail is just as relevant in the boardroom as it is in the classroom,” agrees , Managing Director of International Wellbeing, .
From navigating culture clashes in working styles to the everyday challenges of living abroad, international experience helps leaders develop the resilience needed to navigate the constantly changing world of business.
“If you’ve put yourself through a bunch of different, tough experiences in your 20s, you learn that it doesn’t challenge your humanity — you can live with the tension of business and still find your equanimity”, shares Carrell.
Whether it’s a global pandemic or rocky markets, the experience of living abroad teaches adaptability and resilience that’s essential for today’s leaders.
Poor communication costs businesses time and money, as well as undermining all-important relationships with co-workers and customers.Leaders estimate that teams lose to poor communication, costing U.S. businesses alone .
The risks of miscommunication are even higher in a global team with multiple languages and communication styles.
“With language, it’s not just the words you use, it’s how you phrase things”, according to , CEO and Founder of . “It’s the things you leave unsaid that can be so different between cultures,” she adds.At the leadership level, the stakes are even higher.
“Those that are able to articulate their ideas well, to express themselves, to find the right word, tone, or expression at the right time — they’re the ones that inspire confidence in the people listening to them,” says Perrucci.
Experience communicating with an international audience teaches leaders to prioritize simplicity and clarity, allowing their message to land and stick. Meanwhile, demonstrating effort can help deliver impact. The cultural awareness leaders gain from international experience and practical skills like speaking multiple languages help create strong relationships.
“My German isn’t perfect,” Groen says, “but the fact that I speak it with my German team creates so much goodwill that half the job of building a positive working relationship is already done.”
Accessing the benefits of a diverse, multicultural team depends on their ability to work as a unit. And that falls to leaders. “You can’t just put people from different backgrounds together and expect them to get along naturally”, Milanova believes.
It’s a challenge that Milanova and many of the leaders we spoke to have spent a lot of time thinking about.A common solution? Be open about your differences and the challenges the team will face.At Daye, each person on Milanova’s team has a “Working with me” guide, and there are also guides on how to work with each country.
Leaders with a breadth of global experiences can anticipate the challenges their international teams will face, take steps to mitigate them, and help their teams thrive.
International experience builds some of the fundamental skills that leaders and their businesses need in today’s world.Experiencing a range of cultures, approaches, and styles allows leaders to question their own defaults and be open to different, creative ideas.
The adaptability and resilience needed to settle in a place far from home creates a have-a-go mindset and the ability to communicate and connect with many different types of people.At a more fundamental level, international experience teaches leaders to be aware of and comfortable with differences. And only by doing that are they able to bring global teams together.
This article is part of app Languages’ series, Global Voices: Leaders on Language and Business, an exclusive exploration into the pivotal role of language in achieving international business excellence. For more in this series, check out the leaders’ full interviews on
Learning English with music can enhance learning and create a more engaging and dynamic classroom environment. In a previous post, we discussed if music can help you learn a language; this post looks at how music can be incorporated into the classroom.
Using music in your classroom can help improve student motivation, focus, and retention of information. Here are some ways you can use music to enhance your classroom teaching:
Have you considered studying abroad? Moving to Canada to study? With more than 100 world-class universities across the country, there’s good reason to. From coast to coast to coast, it offers many international students a safe and supportive learning environment and the opportunity to work after graduation.
Want to learn more? In this guide, we cover ten things you should know about studying in Canada:
Workplaces are becoming more and more diverse, with employees hailing from various cultures and speaking different languages. This diversity bringsvaluable enrichmentbut can also bring communication and collaboration challenges.
That's why corporate language training is crucial. It bridges cultural divides, promotes understanding, and creates a harmonious work environment.Cultural divides in the workplace can arise from various factors, including language barriers. When diverse employees can't communicate effectively, misunderstandings and decreased productivity can occur.
Corporate language training plays a vital role in addressing this issue. It helps employees understand and appreciate different cultures, fostering unity and respect. Language training acts as a catalyst for positive workplace dynamics, driving businesses towards global goals.
Corporate language training greatly enhances communication, benefiting employees' expression of ideas and fostering understanding among team members.
Breaking down linguistic barriers promotes mutual respect, unity, and effective collaboration. It also prevents misunderstandings that may lead to conflicts, improving the overall workplace environment and fostering innovative ideas through successful teamwork.
Corporate language training plays a key role in fostering an inclusive and diverse atmosphere. Learning a new language provides insights into different cultures, promoting a deeper appreciation for diversity and reducing biases. This creates a more inclusive work environment where employees from diverse backgrounds feel understood and valued, fostering a sense of belonging and unity.
Language training also equips employees to engage with global customers and clients, reflecting the company's commitment to diversity. Corporate language training is instrumental in cultivating inclusion and diversity, enhancing corporate culture.
Corporate language training strengthens global business relations. As businesses expand worldwide, employees will interact face-to-face with diverse linguistic backgrounds. Knowledge of another language shows respect for other cultures, which is crucial for trust in business relationships.
The ability to connect across cultures is a game-changer for businesses, helping them build strong international relations. Investing in corporate language training not only benefits employees but also secures a company's global future.
A common language fosters seamless communication, enabling effective collaboration. It cultivates a coherent team dynamic where ideas flow and tasks are executed efficiently. This linguistic unity significantly boosts team performance. Reduced misunderstandings lead to increased productivity. Read our post on performance management for language learning in the workplace.
As the employees learn and gain confidence in their language skills, they engage, contribute, and excel, driving the team and the business forward.
If done correctly, corporate language training improves employee engagement and retention. Investing in employees' personal and professional development fosters a sense of value and belonging. Learning to speak a new language is challenging yet rewarding, promoting personal growth and cognitive skills.
Language training also brings employees together, fostering teamwork and unity. This increased engagement leads to higher job satisfaction, loyalty, and reduced turnover. Corporate language training is a strategic investment in employee engagement and retention, a key feature bridging linguistic divides in the modern corporate arena.
A competitive edge is crucial for business growth in today's global economy. Corporate language training contributes significantly to this edge, especially in global markets. Proficiency in multiple languages enables businesses to easily enter new markets, communicate effectively and build trust. Employees with language training represent their companies internationally, exhibiting cultural sensitivity.
Companies showcasing expertise, language proficiency, expertise and cultural understanding stand out, reflecting a global-minded ethos. Corporate language training enhances a corporation or company's presence, reputation, and success in the global market.
To implement effective corporate language training, organizations should assess how employees learn languages and current language proficiencies and identify gaps. A skills audit can assist in identifying areas requiring training, taking into account the languages spoken within the company and the skill levels necessary for business strategies.
Moreover, it allows for assessing employees' proficiency in various languages, encompassing written, spoken, and cultural understanding. This proactive approach ensures tailored and valuable language training for the organization and its employees, promoting skill development at all levels.
Understanding cultural nuances is crucial in corporate language training courses. It's not just about learning to speak the language but also grasping the cultural contexts. This includes knowing the etiquettes, conventions, and unspoken rules governing social interactions across cultures. Being mindful of these subtleties prevents misunderstandings, fosters better relationships, and facilitates smoother communication.
Effective corporate language training should include cultural education to equip employees with the cultural insights and skills to confidently navigate these complexities.
Aligning language training with business objectives is a strategic move that ensures relevant, effective, and valuable training.
In an international business context, objectives may include expanding into new markets, improving multilingual customer service, enhancing internal communication among a diverse workforce, or forming alliances with foreign partners.
By defining these objectives, corporations can tailor language learning programs to specific needs, maximizing ROI. For example, if a company aims to enter a new market with a dominant language, the training could focus on equipping employees with linguistic and cultural skills to communicate effectively with potential clients or partners. This alignment ensures successful training implementation and achievement of broader business goals.
