6306 ProjectBy: Katy Corcoran

HARNESSING YOUR

HELICOPTER VIEW

Learn about and reflect on your proficient and deficient leadership skills

Brains anyone?

No, just a healthy snack…

Would you want to find a piece of this in your dinner?

You would if you wanted a salty snack!

The light at the end of a tunnel?

No…a pencil sharpener!

A dodge ball?

No sir…a fly’s eye!

It’s all about the view…

An effective leader utilizes a helicopter view of themselves, others, and any organizational decisions.

eeing DifferencesEFFECTIVE LEADERS OBTAIN THE ABILITY TO SEE DIFFERENCES

S

Step 1: Cultural Awareness

Firs

t Understand that leadership practices are molded by your surroundings

Then Realize that

there are diverse and equally workable ways of achieving common goals

Finally Embrace a

learning environment that is open to new information and experiences

Step 2: Invite the Unexpected

Personal discipline and preparation are required to even

notice the unexpected

Learn from counterparts

Immerse yourself in diverse social and business cultures

Intentionally anticipate the unexpected

Unexpected

Are you ready for the new view?• Have any of your

assumptions about leadership been challenged when you have observed dissimilar leadership practices? If so, which ones?

• Do you recognize the existing strengths of diverse people and practices before introducing your own ideas?

• How does your own cultural background shape your leadership style?

Closing the GapEFFECTIVE LEADERS MUST LEARN HOW TO ADDRESS VARIANCES TO ACCOMPLISH ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES

Close the gap by building relationships…

Follow local

relationship-building practices

Access local

networks

Let others help you

Obtain an objective cultural guide

Close the gap by frame-shifting…

Be prepared to have new frames of

reference and modify your approach to

various environments without losing sight

of your primary business objective

Modify perspective

and leadership methods as

needed

Alter communication style and tactics as needed

Look forward to taking off!• Are you authentically

committed to relationships with counterparts from different cultures, environments, or backgrounds?

• Do you prioritize relationship-building with colleagues from other backgrounds ahead of your own agenda?

• Do you maintain the same leadership style wherever you go, or modify your style in different environments?

Opening the SystemEFFECTIVE LEADERS APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF EMPLOYEES BEING AWARE OF THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF OWNERSHIP AND LIABILITY

Step 1: Expand Ownership

Organization

Employees

Goal: achieve the optimal balance of centralization and decentralized authority

Step 2: Develop Future Leaders

Leader

Identify and cultivate high-

potential individuals

Be strategic

Widen scope of those who are

driving the change

Champion for others

Goal: work yourself out of a job

Up and away!• Do you set guidelines

that give employees a degree of freedom in shaping projects while also defining limits based upon their ability to contribute effectively?

• Have you created opportunities for high-potential local leaders to serve in more strategic regional and/or global roles?

• Do you develop future global leaders from various cultural backgrounds based on their performance and potential?

Preserving BalanceEFFECTIVE LEADERS PRESERVE A BALANCE THAT ENTAILS KNOWING WHEN TO ADAPT AND WHEN NOT TO ADAPT

Preserve balance by adapting and adding value…

Challenge the status quo

Introduce different

perspectives

Ask questions

Invest the time to learn

about the new environment

before beginning something

new

Build a foundation of

mutual respect and inquiry

Preserving balance by embracing core values and flexibility…

First…Identify your essential core

values

Then…Be ready and willing to

understand and embrace culturally diverse values

What a trip!• Can you manage effectively

within different cultural or environmental context while also raising good questions about the way things are normally done?

• How do you balance learning and teaching? How do you incorporate the ideas of colleagues and customers from other locations while also offering new information and ideas?

• Are you an effective advocate for key personal and corporate values, even in other locations where these differ from local norms?

Establishing SolutionsEFFECTIVE LEADERS EVENTUALLY DELIVER RESULTS

Establishing solutions by

influencing across boundaries…

Influence across functionsThe ability to influence executives

and entry level alike

Freedom to experiment

Opportunity to try new ideas

Creative Resourcefulness

Finding solutions with varying external circumstances

Role expansionThe ability to play the role of human

relations, international business strategy, retail, etc.

Ambassador RoleRepresent the business internally

and externally

Establishing solutions by utilizing third-way solutions…

Ability to put

everything

together

Be a catalyst

Be transpare

nt

Discover common ground

Generate real

solutions

Act as a

bridge

Place needs of

organization and

customers first

Welcome input from

various sources

Build upon worthwhile input from

any sources

Communicate

assumptions

Convey expectations

Be consiste

nt in your

actions

Look at that view!• Have you created a

process that incorporates the ideas of team members from different backgrounds to create the best solutions for the organization?

• How do you persuade people across geographies and organizational lines to get the job done?

• Are you sufficiently transparent that colleagues from like and different cultures understand your expectations?

Seeing differences1. Cultural self-

awareness2. Invite the unexpected

Closing the gap3. Results through

relationships4. Frame-shifting

Opening the system5. Expand ownership

6. Develop future leaders

Preserving balance7. Adapt and add value

8. Core values and flexibility

Establishing solutions9. Influence across

boundaries10. Third-way solutions

Review of 10 key

behaviors that

define great

leaders!

Has the SCOPE of your leadership knowledge broadened?

Describe your new helicopter view of yourself and your organization.

How will you use your new knowledge and personal reflection to better yourself as a domestic and/or global leader?

ReferencesGundling, E., Hogan, T., & Cvitkovich, K. (2011). What is global leadership?

Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey.