Women Getting In the Global Game

By Mona Pearl

As the business world becomes increasingly globally focused across many fields, a new kind of leadership is needed. Today’s leaders must have flexibility, the ability to communicate and a panoramic vision to navigate the storm and get us safely to shore. The world is in search for a unique set of skills and a new generation of leaders. Are women the leaders the world has been waiting for?

Women have the natural skills to adapt to change and lead in the global world. Business leaders today have the skills and finesse to identify and execute great deals. It’s the soft issues that surface on the international stages that cause unanticipated and disastrous problems.

Tips for success in a global world:

1. Pack your bags and travel. But travel with the intent and commitment to observe, learn, and question – not to just be another tourist.

2. Be flexible. Learn to adapt to new ideas and new ways of conducting business. Listen with both your ears and your gut. Instincts are very important, and experience perfects these instincts.

3. Focus on relationships. When all else fails, recognize that a solid foundation of trusting relationships in the target market and around the globe will ease the difficulties of going global.

4. Have a realistic vision. Spectacular visions look great on PowerPoint presentations, but they are not always actionable. Never assume that what works in the United States will work in other parts of the world because, likely, it won’t.

5. Reach beyond your comfort zone. In many cases people are too conservative, too afraid of change and of the unfamiliar, and therefore, they resist global opportunities out of fear. The key to growth is to let go of fear.

The potential for business leaders who can apply these lessons and skills to their unique circumstances is beyond measure. In a world of six billion people, it only takes approximately 5 percent of that market to equal the entire U.S. population. Whatever the size of your business, the global market has much to offer you and, although you may not realize it, you have a lot to offer, too.

The potential for business leaders who can apply these lessons and skills to their unique circumstances is beyond measure. In a world of six billion people, it only takes approximately 5 percent of that market to equal the entire U.S. population. Whatever the size of your business, the global market has much to offer you and, although you may not realize it, you have a lot to offer, too.

Mona Pearl is a global strategic business development expert, founder and COO of Beyond A Strategy, Inc. and author of Grow Globally: Opportunities for Your Middle-Market Company Around the World. For more information, please visit www.monapearl.com.

This article includes excerpts from Grow Globally: Opportunities for Your Middle-Market Company Around the World. Copyright (c) 2011 by Mona Pearl. Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.