A recent McKinsey study unfolds the most disruptive trends of our time, and in the process reveals some startling insights about how businesses are coping with the transition into a world more globally connected than ever before. Less than 10% of senior executives actually think that their organizations have effectively developed global leadership capabilities; and one out of three companies admits that they have not well taken advantage of international opportunities, mainly due to the difficulty of finding people with international competencies.
To me, these are shocking revelations, given how doing business across physical boundaries and cultural patchworks has seemingly become the touchstone of this age. Embedded in the GenY generation whose peers are the most hyper-connected, well-traveled and cosmopolitan than any other generation has ever seen, I often did not fully fathom how uniquely positioned this international generation of mine is on the job market. Professor Linda Brimm from INSEAD recently points out the key advantages of hiring people with a wealth of international experience, on the ground that these ‘global cosmopolitans’ possess formidable traits that allow them to weather changes with charm. Changes have become the norm of life for this all-embracing generation, whose personal growth comes with constant reinvention and experimentation of the self. The new class of internationalized young folks is well-disposed to grasp new complex ideas and concepts; they rely on creative thinking to solve problems and ride high on the tides of transition. Furthermore, we fare better and better on the EQ scale in a new age that increasingly concedes emotional maturity over IQ.
That goes to say that being international is the true magic formula for Frankfurt School’s Master of International Business program, given how its mission is to mold students’ past international idiosyncrasies into concrete attributes appreciated by global companies and the new business environment. While the benefits of being international are manifold, not many have been able to truly appreciate the subtle link between this particular facet and one’s personal development. Being international not only helps me connect to vastly different people that I come into contact with everyday, but also and more crucially, helps me truly appreciate those differences and allows me to face up to my own shortcomings.
Recently, I had an interview for a working student position with a bank whose expertise is completely new to me. The interviewer commented that he was really impressed by how well I understood the nature of the job (thanks to my due diligence in advance), since it is a relatively new field in banking but only increasing in importance in light of the recent financial crisis and the changing regulatory environment. I didn’t get the job in the end, but a classmate from the MIB got it. I am able to reflect on this personal ‘failure’, appreciating the fact that the brands Yale and Frankfurt School really get me through the door for an interview in the first place, and the fact that it would be foolish to take this rejection personally. My friend who actually got the job offer had good background in finance from his time in Colombia, so it is a natural choice for the interviewer to pick him in light of the requirements of the job. My point of telling this story is not to ‘brag’ about yet another failure of mine in foreign waters, but the point is to show that how ‘being international’, I have become comfortable in openly facing up to my own failings in an age that tends to stigmatize this ‘F’ word. Being international has helped me truly appreciate the diverse experience and worldviews that my other MIB classmates are able to offer. That gives me confidence that I do have some unique qualifications that would eventually justify me to new magnificent opportunities.
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