In the first module we outline the basics of leadership and leadership development with an international mindset, exploring common traps & challenges, and opportunities of intercultural leadership.
NAVIGATING CULTURE
In this second module we talk about the impact of culture and cultural differences on organizations, different perspectives on analyzing and decoding culture, and how to develop intercultural intelligence.
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
Almost everything international leaders do, they do through communication. In an international context, they often encounter communication barriers when they interact with followers, peers, and partners from other cultures. We talk about how to encourage open, respectful, and productive conversations for improving collaboration and collective decision-making. We will also closely examine the role of communication for leaders' identity and their relationships with others. Bocconi alumni who have accumulated many years of international experience share with us what they have learned about intercultural communication and how to develop your communication skills.
MOTIVATING FOLLOWERS
International leaders need to spur and channel the energy, talents, and commitment of their followers. To foster motivation leaders need to recognize people's diverse needs and motives, cultural foundations of motivation, and social mechanisms that determine motivation in teams. We emphasize that there is no “magic bullet” for motivation that works reliably and universally, we discuss motivation theories and frameworks that can greatly enhance international leaders’ ability to adapt their motivation efforts in intercultural contexts - both for individuals and for teams.
BUILDING PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS
Throughout the course we emphasize leaders’ interdependent relationships with followers, and the importance of managing those relationships. Here we broaden our view to consider the network of relationships. We work towards a solid understanding of how social networks evolve, how they constrain and enable cognition and behavior, and which relational norms international leaders want to consider as they actively network across cultural boundaries. Bocconi alumni will share their recommendations for effective networking.
MANAGING CONFLICTS
Conflicts are a normal occurrence in any organization, and can be productive and beneficial when managed effectively. In this last module we talk about conflicts styles, and focus on distributive and procedural justice concerns across a variety of cultural settings. Bocconi alumni share their approaches to identifying and working through important conflicts in a multicultural context. We also discuss how to handle ethical dilemmas – often the most challenging conflicts international leaders have to handle.