Beyond Borders: SHIFTing to a Truly Global Mindset

We live in an economic world that is now inextricably interconnected; as recently as 2022, imports and exports accounted for as much as 63% of global GDP. And when organizations must think globally simply to remain competitive, they require leaders who can operate from a global perspective. This means that mere technical skill is no longer enough to lead successfully; mindset determines impact, and in markets that demand global impact, any organization’s chief thinker must operate from a global mindset first.

However, many executives — especially in legacy companies — fall into the trap of attempting to achieve global impact through processes that were shaped locally. These roadblocks — insufficient cultural intelligence, narrow perspectives, and rigid approaches — can create all sorts of friction in the works, keeping your company from truly competing in (or even entering) the opportunities presented by a global marketplace.

The SHIFTS Model: The 6 Stages of Leadership Transformation 

My SHIFTS model, a framework to guide leaders through the process of creating meaningful change from the top down, provides a tested process you can use to transition yourself (and your team) into a mindset that possesses the necessary tools for success as you begin to tap into emerging global markets.

• See: The eye is a powerful filter, going far beyond merely absorbing information. By intentionally controlling what we see, we can begin to adapt the way we think, shifting our assumptions, goals, and techniques as we begin to create the world we envision. Be intentional about noticing default assumptions, and make the implicit cultural filters explicit as you seek to begin your team’s transformation. What would a picture of global success look like? That picture, whatever it may  be in your specific context, should be physically visible to you and your team at all times.
• Hear: Though we are primarily visual creatures, what we hear is also vitally important. In the shift to a global approach, it’s important to create space to hear all the information you’ll need — both from your team and from new markets, new partners, and new stakeholders. Ideally, you’ll move beyond merely creating passive space and also implement active processes that create intentional opportunities for you to hear from the disparate voices that will be crucial to your success. Receptivity is a good start, but active curiosity is even better. This is especially critical as you’re moving into new markets, where new team members or potential customers may have cultural assumptions and practices that differ from your company’s status quo.
• Insight: Each piece of information you see and hear moves you closer and closer to achieving insight: the moment of discovery where the crucial step — whether it’s the first step, the next step, or the big step — makes itself known. As you intentionally filter inputs to align with your vision and actively seek to hear from key voices, you’re providing both your conscious and subconscious mind with the pieces it will need to reach the most important insight to shift things in the proper direction. Taking the time to intentionally absorb cultural differences can also help avoid wasted effort or false steps.
• Formulate: An insight is a general direction; once you have that, the next step is the formulation of a map that leads to the specific desired result. Building off the things you’ve seen and heard, and the insights generated by that process, you’re now prepared to map out the steps that will take you from the world you started with to the world you envisioned.
• Transform: Once you’ve Seen, Heard, achieved Insight, and Formulated a plan, Transformation comes naturally. With buy-in from team members, partners, and customers, and a clear plan that emerged from the previous steps, it’s now simply time to take the steps you’ve already mapped out.
• Succeed: Carefully and intentionally pursued, the first five steps of the SHIFTS model can lead to the successful execution of meaningful, sustainable global outcomes. But each step is critical. Ineffective leaders attempt to start somewhere in the middle; armed with only a vague idea of what they’d like to achieve, they begin making changes without first getting clear about the vision they see, taking the time to hear what’s necessary, and patiently awaiting insight before formulating a plan. In contrast, leaders who take the time to carefully work through the first five steps can avoid mistakes (like Dolce & Gabbana offending Chinese customers with an ill-advised commercial).

Considerations for the SHIFTS Model Specific to Global Transition 

Although the SHIFTS model can be applied to leadership in any context, there are some key considerations where emergence into new geographic areas are concerned. The primary tool required is the development of deep cultural intelligence. This is something that cannot be acquired with the snap of a finger (or the hiring of a consultant). True cultural intelligence goes beyond merely avoiding what might be offensive; it also includes a thorough understanding of the values, taboos, and practices of a specific people in a specific place.

This deep cultural intelligence also leads to the realization that, counterintuitively, globalization often requires localization. “Sell more units in Central America” can’t be accomplished effectively without the understanding that a geographic area that broad necessarily includes multiple cultures (and microcultures) — and to sell effectively, you’ll need to take the time to understand each thoroughly.

That understanding can only come through relationships with people who already know what you don’t; someone will have to teach you. And since trust can’t be bought, globalization requires the deliberate construction of trusting relationships — and often the adaptation of your preferred style and methods.

Ultimately, global impact begins in the mind long before it begins in the market. It is careful, arduous work — but with the SHIFTS approach, your organization can begin the process today.

Written by Dr. Sam Adeyemi.