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Leaders Developing Global A C To teach globally, educators must think globally, replacing long- held regional mindsets with expanded international perspectives. given dilemma: An executive from Japan may see an issue differently from his counter- part in the U.S., or a European may have a different approach from someone from Africa. As management educators, our central challenge is to design a multifaceted, com- prehensive approach to global business education, while encompassing the different cul- tural perspectives of our students. Business schools must offer executive programs that focus on the issues of globalization, without teaching any one prescribed approach to those issues. In the past, business schools have often approached problem solving in a regional or national context. But the days when a leader could be cultivated within a regional or national context may well be coming to an end. In this broadening landscape of busi- ness, business educators are not only faced with the objective of developing leaders; they must develop global leaders. In the global context, different cultural norms may present myriad solutions to any by Peter Lorange illustration by J.W. Stewart Basic Strategies As an international business school, IMD focuses on five central strategies we believe are particularly critical in developing global leaders. Such strategies have always applied to business leaders, even when they are operating in a regional or national setting. Their complexity, however, increases dramatically in the global setting. To instill global understanding in students, business schools context is to create a "global meeting place" within their organizations, where executives with problems and executives with possible solutions can come together. Such a meet- ing place may include face-to-face interaction, videoconferencing, or online communi- cation; but the key is to encourage dialogue and brainstorming to come up with nonin- tuitive solutions. Regardless of the format, executives from all over the world must learn to work together, learn from each other, and gain a global viewpoint. A network struc- ture is critical, for leaders who engage in multicultural dialogues often design stronger strategies. must rethink and refine their approaches to the following strategies: Create a "global meeting place." The first challenge for companies operating in a global 24 BizEd SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2003 L I N N T E • R S T O N U I F O A •