Cultivating a global mindset through "being-centered" leadership

Abstract

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing today's global leaders is the need to address the demand for a new strategic business orientation that effectively perceives the nature of complex markets and maximizes global business opportunities. This has given rise to the call for cultivating a global mindset (GM) as a foundation for global leadership. In this chapter we introduce a process for cultivating a GM based on a theory of Being-centered leadership that proposes multiple levels of being as a context for effective global leadership. First, we explore the concept of global mindset and focus on a classification of its core properties. Second, we review the theory of Being-centered leadership, which incorporates five levels of knowing and being, and argue that it is only when a leader commits to the spiritual journey inherent in these levels that self-awareness and other-awareness become manifest, which we propose is essential for GM cultivation. Next, we illustrate how a model of spiritual leadership can facilitate cultivation of a GM and global leadership. Finally, we discuss the implications for global mindset and leadership research and practice.