Global Leadership Competencies

Abstract

This thesis studies the competencies, i.e. the knowledge, skills, abilities and personality characteristics important for global leaders. The objective is to find a generalizable set of competencies that are found crucial for effective global leaders by both literature and practice. The second objective of this study is to identify the most effective developmental methods for the identified competencies.

The theoretical part of this study provides a literature overview of the subject by identifying a framework of a generalizable set of competencies important for global leaders from different authors’ perspectives. Also the most effective developmental methods are identified for these competencies. The literature review functions as a basis for the empirical part, which is a qualitative study of the subject. It was conducted by semi-structured interviews of HR professionals and/or managers with global responsibilities and the findings were then compared to and combined with the findings of the literature review in an attempt to form a generalizable set of competencies important for global leaders.

The main finding of this study shows, that the most important competencies for global leaders have to do with one’s personality characteristics and are deeper in the core of a person. Thus, the most important competencies for global leaders are also the ones hardest to change. To affect to these kinds of competencies requires more profound, life-changing developmental experience.