Being an international manager

Abstract

Stefan Wills and Kevin Barham base this article on a research report which involved interviewing around 60 senior international executives in companies from a range of different countries and industries. A qualitative analysis of the findings revealed that it can be misleading to totally attribute their success to specific behaviour competencies or skills. In addition to these, such people appear to be operating from a deeper, core competence which is essentially holistic in nature. This is outlined and described as three major inter-linking parts; cognitive complexity, emotional energy and psychological maturity. They make up the essence of what it is to be a successful international manager in the complex world of global business.