Leading beyond borders: insights and case studies from IBM's Global Chief Human Resource Officer study

Abstract

Purpose

As organizations operate in an increasingly borderless world where work is performed across various cultures, geographies and time zones, modern strategies and approaches for effective, global leadership are a necessity. The aim of this paper is to explore how leaders can successfully address the challenges of global leadership in order to improve business performance and take advantage of new business opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

IBM's recently published Global Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) study – to which more than 700 HR executives and workforce strategists across 61 countries contributed – reveals that organizations continue to struggle to resolve a number of critical leadership challenges.

Findings

The authors explore the key levers that leaders need to apply in order to maximize workforce performance and capitalize on collective intelligence. Analysis of our study shows that many organizations will need to work very differently from how they operate today, engaging much more seamlessly across a wide range of geographic, functional, and generational boundaries.

Originality/value

The following article summarizes the findings from IBM's recent CHRO study, highlights its implications for modern leadership and presents selected case studies to illustrate how the theory can be put into practice.

Citation

Britt, A. and Kreyer, N. (2011), "Leading beyond borders: insights and case studies from IBM's Global Chief Human Resource Officer study", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 18-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/14754391111140963