Personality, Leadership, and Globalization: Linking Personality to Global Organizational Effectiveness

As we move deeper into the 21st century and organizations continue to expand globally, the need for talented leaders and enhanced leadership development programs will grow. In fact, rapid economic growth in parts of the world coupled with the number of experienced leaders retiring in other parts of the world point to a global leadership imperative – we need to understand better how to select and develop leaders who can deliver organizational results. This chapter makes four principal assertions: (1) leadership is a function of personality; (2) leadership is a determinant of organizational effectiveness; (3) principles of leadership are formal; and (4) using the leadership value chain, one can trace the links from personality to leadership to organizational effectiveness. We conclude by offering some suggestions to help understand and guide future, global leadership development.