Global leadership development, strategic alignment and CEOs commitment

Purpose – Global corporate strategy has moved faster than global leadership development in many companies. This outcome has created some leadership problems: global companies may not have enough leaders in their growth markets or leaders with the required global competencies in their headquarters. The purpose of this paper is to offer some concepts that may help companies tackle those problems. Design/methodology/approach – This paper has a conceptual basis. It draws on previous theoretical knowledge on global leadership development and the experience of some leadership programs in global companies. Findings – The first is that global leadership competencies should be based on the functions that global leaders need to perform and their specific context, not on some theoretical notions isolated from the business context. The second is the need for alignment of global leadership development with the firm's purpose and strategy. The third is that CEOs’ commitment is a key factor in making global leadership initiatives successful. Research limitations/implications – This is a conceptual paper based on business experience. It needs to be complemented with additional empirical work. Practical implications – Global leadership development should be based on real global business functions. Global leadership development should be aligned with the firm's purpose and strategy and its success depends on CEOs’ commitment. Originality/value – The study of global capabilities needs to observe what happens in companies that have global leadership programs. Global leadership development takes place in specific organizations. This paper gets theory closer to the practice of global leadership development.