What are the challenges of leading a diverse and global team in a rapidly changing market?

Leading a diverse and global team in a rapidly changing market is like trying to build a tower out of blocks, but the blocks are all different shapes and sizes, and the ground is constantly shaking. You need to be able to communicate effectively with your team members to ensure that everyone is working on the same part of the tower and that the blocks are fitting together properly. You also need to be able to adapt quickly to changes in the ground conditions, so that the tower doesn't collapse. It's a challenge, but it's possible to build a strong and stable tower with the right skills and leadership.

Managing a global and diverse team is challenging but very instructive. Not everyone has the same work culture. It may be necessary to be very helpful, especially to someone new to the team. Emphasise feedback culture within the team. Ensure that everyone learns new things from each other.

It is important to build empathy and confidence with team members to have proper engagement. I worked with teams in China, India and Korea and learned that with each of them, the approach had to be different. Some are very outspoken and inquisitive, others the opposite, not willing to expose themselves or being suspicious on the intent of your practices. Knowledge of those differences allows the leader to gain respect and understanding from members of what needs to be accomplished. One should not assume that everything will be understood when explained, so simple language, repetition and even a slower speed of speech are crucial. An authentic and humble leader can build trust making teamwork a valuable activity with great participation.

Managing a diverse team is hard. Try not to fall for any of these 5 pitfalls: 1. Being defensive when getting negative feedback. Let them talk. 2. Ignoring anonymous feedback. It's a valuable input. 3. Not acting on feedback. Waste of time. 4. Forgetting praise. Everyone needs it. 5. Lack of consistency. Doing it once won't cut it. Hope, this helps!

Use PESTEL framework to scan the external environment for trends, risks, threats and opportunities. Factors of the model and some examples: Political: Government policies, changes in government, foreign trade policies, internal political trends, tax policy, regulation trends. Economic: Growth, interest rates, exchange rates, inflation, disposable income, unemployment rates. Social: Demographic trends, cultural factors, sociocultural trends. Technological: Technological advancements, R&D, automation, technological change. Environmental: Climate change, natural disasters, environmental regulations, natural resources, sustainability issues. Legal: Discrimination law, consumer law, antitrust law, employment law, h&s regulations.

Adapt: You will face different cultures and things won't be like back home. A cosmopolitan approach needs to be given so differences can be detected, respected and accepted. Be resilient: leading a global group/team is not for everyone. Time zone differences, language barriers, slow pace of discussions, and repetition, are all facts to be faced when working with a global team. Not to mention the impact when travelling to those locations: food, transportation, accommodations would all be "normal" to the members, not to you... Embrace the differences!!! By lowering your standards and accept that reality, you will be seen as leader that is willing to engage at the same level, being respected for that. You will also grow as a person.

Learn, beforehand, what the destination's culture is about: what's important to them, and especially why. Genuinely, engage in learning more about that culture and ask questions about their habits, their language, their heritage, etc., when meeting people. That is a tremendous appreciation by global members when you show interest in their culture and their people (again... honest and genuine interest!!!) paving the way for great and productive interactions. Not only that, but soon you will understand how to make the most of their experiences and contributions. It might test your patience at times (I can assure you that) but it is a well worth effort. Of course, you can push your agenda without doing all that, but you won't go too far...

Leading a global team for a program is for sure very exciting as the innovations and cummulative perspective outcomes could be far more positively surprizing. Have experienced a many times. However the biggest challenge in my opinion is a mix of all 6 above and Time management included on top. The leader itself has to spent hours in studying and understanding Cultural, ethical and thought process related aspects of involved team members.. its time taking and cumbersome. At the other hand open approach in handling diversity is a must that mostly is affected by the own personalities of the leader and team members. For eg. topic regarding gender equality, lgbtq, ethical scale of demography, current ongoing global conflicts are a few of them.