In an increasingly interconnected global business landscape, the development of leadership that transcends cultural boundaries is not just beneficial; it is essential. The creation of my artifact - an introductory leadership development training focused on diverse and distributed teams - is designed to equip leaders with the tools necessary to navigate multicultural contexts effectively while maintaining authentic and ethical leadership practices.

Results

The development of this capstone has reaffirmed that cultivating global leadership competencies is critical as businesses expand beyond traditional borders. The result of this project serves as a foundation for leaders seeking to enhance their intercultural effectiveness and leadership approach. By combining theoretical frameworks with practical applications, the program aims to transform how leaders operate in diverse environments. 

Theoretical Grounding

Burns’ (2003) theory of transforming leadership provides the central framework for this artifact, bolstered by insights from scholars like Michael Carey and Bernard Bass. This approach to leadership proved particularly effective in multicultural contexts because of its focus on the reciprocal relationship between leaders and followers—a dynamic that transcends cultural boundaries through shared values and a common purpose (Burns, 2003). When paired with Meyer’s (2016) research on culture mapping and effective cross-cultural working relationships, transforming leadership offers a comprehensive methodology for navigating diverse workforces.

Ethical Concerns

While developing this presentation to enhance leaders' intercultural effectiveness, I recognize that, despite my best intentions, my own cultural background and unconscious biases may influence the framework's design and implementation. However, I believe that the inherent qualities of transforming leadership provide a natural counterbalance to potential bias. By encouraging leaders to deeply engage with followers as complete individuals and prioritizing reciprocal relationships over hierarchical authority, this approach creates space for cultural differences to be acknowledged and celebrated rather than minimized or misunderstood. 

Technical Learnings

The development process extended beyond the presentation deck to include establishing a personal consulting brand and digital portfolio. This technical aspect provided valuable experience in brand development, website creation, and digital presentation design—skills that enhance the program's delivery while building a foundation for future consulting opportunities. The project served as a great learning opportunity for developing a brand from scratch and seeing how it connects to my digital portfolio, creating a cohesive professional identity that supports the implementation of the artifact.

Limitations

In addition to the technical learnings, certain limitations of this project must be acknowledged. The current iteration offers a relatively surface-level introduction (considering time constraints), lacking the depth needed for comprehensive leadership development. While it establishes fundamental concepts, it would benefit from more targeted approaches that address specific cultural contexts relevant to particular organizations, such as being able to culture map the countries represented within a given workforce. Additionally, as the creator of this artifact, I recognize that unconscious biases from participants may also influence the structure and outcomes of the training, potentially limiting its effectiveness in certain cultural contexts.

Future Iterations

Looking forward, this initial training represents just the beginning of a more comprehensive approach to global leadership development. Future iterations could expand to account for specific countries represented within client organizations, offering more tailored guidance on navigating particular cultural dynamics. The program could evolve into a multi-session leadership development series, building on the foundation established in this initial training session. Insights from specialized coursework, such as the COML Consulting & Training class I am taking this summer, will further inform these expansions, ensuring continued growth and refinement of the program's approach to developing transforming leaders for global contexts.

Key Takeaways

This project illuminates the vast potential for further exploration at the intersection of transforming leadership and cross-cultural effectiveness. I believe this program can evolve organically to meet emerging needs in global leadership development. The journey of creating this artifact has revealed both the complexity of the challenge and the tremendous opportunity to impact how leaders approach their roles in our increasingly interconnected world. It is amazing to have scratched the surface with this project and illuminated the incredible number of opportunities for continued learning on the subject. I look forward to continuing to grow this project and program and to developing alongside future participants. 

References

Burns, J. (2003). Transforming leadership: A new pursuit of happiness [Audiobook]. Atlantic Monthly Press.

Meyer, E. (2016). The culture map. PublicAffairs.