New Book Shares Thunderbird Formula for 21st Century Success

Globalization has changed the way people think and act, which means the world needs a new class of leaders equipped with new skills to thrive in the 21st century. Thunderbird School of Global Management President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., and Professor Gregory Unruh, Ph.D., outline a three-pronged formula for developing these leaders in their new book, Being Global: How to Think, Act, and Lead in a Transformed World (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012).

The book draws upon Thunderbird’s accumulated experience from 65 years engaged in educating global leaders who create sustainable prosperity worldwide. Real-world examples provide lessons for leaders at all levels of their careers - whether in big or small business, government, or the social sector - who aspire to think and act globally, and who need some help getting there

“Research shows that global leaders are a unique breed with identifiable characteristics,” said Unruh, who is also the director of the Lincoln Center for Ethics in Global Management at Thunderbird. “They have a global mindset which allows them to connect across boundaries, they are global entrepreneurs driven to create new solutions and seize opportunities, and they are global citizens inspired to contribute to the communities they touch.”

A main concept of the book is Thunderbird’s belief that global leaders are not just born; they can be made. The process starts with natural curiosity about the world, which leads to relationships with people very different from themselves. From these relationships come insights and innovations that span national and cultural boundaries. While driven to enhance their own prosperity, real global leaders also recognize the impact of their actions on communities and the planet.

Being Global highlights several important global leaders and lessons from their experiences, which include Paul Meyer, co-founder of mobile health services company Voxiva; Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of electric vehicle services firm Better Place; Merle Hinrichs, founder of the global trade firm Global Sources; Bill Browder, founder of Hermitage Capital Management and Lalit Ahuja, who helped establish Target in India. The book also highlights the research of several Thunderbird faculty members, including Mansour Javidan, Ph.D., Director of the Najafi Global Mindset Institute, and Robert D. Hisrich, Ph.D., Director of the Walker Center for Global Entrepreneurship.

For more information about Being Global, and access to exclusive videos and educational content, please visit http://beingglobalbook.com