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, […]

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 […]