A talented product manager moves from Bogotá to Berlin. Her metrics are strong, her team trusts her, yet she keeps hearing small comments: “Could you say that again, more clearly?” “Let’s have James handle the client call—he’s more… fluent.” No one is overtly hostile. Still, over time, the message is unmistakable: your ideas are fine, but […]
The Thinking Machine, Global Work, and the New Burden of Tech Leadership
If you want to understand global work in 2025, start where very few people actually look: the chips. Stephen Witt’s book, The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip, which I just finished reading, is part biography, part business history, part supply-chain thriller. It traces how Nvidia—founded in 1993, reportedly brainstormed […]
The Economics of Global Work
In today’s world, doing global work is getting harder. The geopolitical landscape—fractured alliances, renewed nationalism, sanctions, airspace restrictions, and unpredictable regulation—combined with macro-economic headwinds like inflation, energy costs, and supply chain stress, have made everything from travel to deployment of talent more expensive and time-consuming. For anyone working across borders, these changes are no longer […]
Redefining the Nomadic Elite
Back in 2015, I wrote about what I then called the “nomadic elite”—a small but visible group of professionals who seemed to thrive on constant relocation, moving from one international assignment to the next with relative ease. At the time, I questioned whether we were perhaps celebrating this lifestyle too much, and overlooking the ways […]
How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Global Work
For decades, global professionals have developed their effectiveness through language learning, cultural sensitivity, and on-the-ground, immersive experiences. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is entering the picture, not as a replacement for these hard-won capabilities, but as a complement that could redefine how we experience global work. AI is already reshaping many dimensions of cross-border collaboration. Take […]
When Growth Trumps Culture: A Global Leadership Lesson from Facebook
I recently read Sarah Wynn-Williams’ fascinating book about her role as Director of Public Policy for Facebook. Upon its publication, Careless People gained further publicity given that Facebook promised to take legal action—so I was very curious what would await me. Clearly, there is always subjectivity in how a single employee perceives a firm and […]
Why Europe Must Lead Together: Collaborative Global Leadership in an Age of Disruption
We are living through a period of profound disruption. From war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East to climate emergencies, rising authoritarianism, and the disruptive promise—and peril—of AI, today’s global challenges are not only multiplying, they are becoming more interconnected and complex. At the same time, the return of Trump-era politics and the […]
Rethinking Expatriate Adjustment: It’s Not Just About the Move Anymore
For decades, the concept of expatriate adjustment has centered on the traditional long-term assignment: a 3-to-5-year relocation to another country, often with family in tow. Researchers and practitioners alike have focused on how well expatriates adapt to the host country’s culture, their new workplace, and daily life abroad. But in today’s world of global work, […]
Embracing the Power of Many Tongues: How Language Diversity Can Strengthen Your Organization
In today’s global workplace, language is often treated as a problem to be solved — a barrier to communication, a source of misunderstanding, or a trigger for status imbalances. But what if we flipped the script? Recent research I’ve conducted with colleagues suggests a powerful and underappreciated truth: language diversity in organizations can be a […]
How to Turn Your International Experience into a Lasting Advantage
Living and working in a foreign country is a transformative experience that shapes both personal and professional growth. As Ernest Hemingway famously said, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [person], then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a […]
Supporting Your Partner Abroad Can Boost Your Resilience at Work
Expatriate assignments often come with significant professional challenges—new roles, unfamiliar environments, and the constant need to adapt. But what if the secret to navigating these hurdles effectively lies not just in your personal strategies but in your family dynamics, specifically your relationship with your partner? Recent research that I conducted together with my colleagues Mihaela […]
Self-Discovery Through Global Work: Lessons from Siddhartha
It is almost ironic that it took me over 40 years to finally read the classic novel “Siddhartha” by author and compatriot Hermann Hesse – and only after my wife had discussed the book in her book club:-) The novel depicts the spiritual journey of self-discovery of the book’s protagonist named Siddhartha during the time […]
Finding Awe Through Global Work: Lessons from Dacher Keltner’s “Awe”
In his groundbreaking book “Awe” which I have just finished reading, renowned psychologist Dacher Keltner explores the transformative emotion that makes us feel part of something larger than ourselves. While awe is an emotion that is beneficial in all life domains, I have found that his insights have particular resonance for those of us navigating […]
Work design and less-hierarchical organizing in global companies
By 2022, German athletic apparel and footwear manufacturer Adidas seemed to have lost its way. External criticism pressured the company to break its lucrative Yeezy collaboration with divisive celebrity Kanye West after the rapper’s increasingly inflammatory public comments. The company was burning money, losing almost $800 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. And it […]
Why It Pays Off to Be Fluent in a Multinational Team’s Official Language
Multinational teams come in many different forms, from diverse teams in club football to musical ensembles, product development teams, or engineering and consulting teams. Many professionals collaborate in such multinational teams, me included, which means that they need to agree on a common language to be able to converse and get work done. Most multinational teams […]
Plug in, Ponder or Pause? Dealing with Major Disruptions to Our Work
In 2019, I was fortunate enough to receive funding from IESE’s High Impact research initiative to study how global professionals manage their work. So I teamed up with Maïlys George as both of us have been fascinated by cross-cultural experiences, and especially how individuals manage their work and nonwork lives across borders. Our focus was […]
