What makes a good manager? This question gets asked so much you might think the answer is beyond our reach. But at some point in our professional careers we’ve all worked with someone who has that special managerial touch: workflows are smooth, team members satisfied and excellent results are the norm.  

Discovering what sets those people apart—especially in our increasingly globalized and technologically dynamic work environment—is the key to unleashing your team’s talent.

The five trends in global management below are based on today’s leadership best practices and they represent the main areas for achieving success in today’s landscape.

The five trends in global management

Making sense of change

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us and is changing even our recent understanding of today’s increasingly technological environment. As Mark Esposito explains, the breakthroughs in AI, digitalization and automation are leading to fragmentation and feelings of disillusionment.

And beyond these technological implications, managers have to deal with economic and political power shifts and resource scarcity. And that’s without forgetting the human factor of your incredible team.

While it may seem overwhelming, making sense of this change by exploring megatrends and their implications at every level is a skill all managers should have. We can all get distracted by the day-to-day realities of running a business but thinking on the macro level is just as important to ensure success.

It’s not about having your head in the clouds—it’s about getting a birds eye view.

Turning the market to your advantage

Technological advancements are affecting everything, and the markets are no exception. As the world evolves, competition is emerging from previously unexpected areas. Take the now infamous example of FinTech, which took the banking sector storm—and entirely by surprise.

In many ways we can understand these first victims of technological disruption because they had no warning. Today’s managers are offered no such consolation.

Now, it’s all about fully engaging with the tools at your disposal to keep your market position secure. This involves leveraging big data to understand customer behavior, and improve their experience as a result. Beyond improving current experiences, you should also be aware of how to approach value creation from new and innovative perspectives to keep your customers engaged and stand out from the competition.

With new techniques such as endomarketing and neuromarketing, you as a manager should be empowered to build trust and brand loyalty, mapping out your market for planned, long-term success.  

Becoming the disruptor

But avoiding the aftershocks of disruption isn’t enough. As an effective manager, you need to lead the disruption. In a world where customers increasingly demanding, and digital reputations can be won or lost on a tweet, being on the forefront of disruption means leading the market and setting the trends that others will follow.

Rethinking your organization’s business model, efficiently turning ideas into reality, and encouraging creativity will lead you and your team to be the disruptive innovators of tomorrow.

Don’t keep up with the trends—set them.

Fostering a culture of energy

As a manager, your team is your rock. You wouldn’t succeed without them, and they wouldn’t succeed without you.

The culture you foster within your organization goes a long way to producing lasting results. Motivation is a nuanced issue that’s a combination of rewards, performance incentives and being part of a well-thought-out purpose. As every aspect of the market becomes increasingly demanding, empowering your employees to take part in creating a vibrant corporate culture is paramount for your business’s success.

However, this also means that you must develop an actionable and measurable implementation plan to ensure that your organization reaps the benefits of an energetic professional atmosphere in the short and long term.

Next-level leadership

None of these trends in global management can be capitalized on without strong leadership. As a leader, you need to be able to amplify the impact of your people and your business.

That all sounds well and good—but what does it really mean? The main aspects of amplifying impact never change. They are: inspiration, engagement, connection, support and task prioritization in the short and long term. However, the success in fostering these in your organization is less of a science.

We all have our own leadership styles. While there’s no one right way to unlock talent and performance, there are many wrong ways. Being a leader today involves establishing your own leadership style, empowering yourself to empower others.

The Global Advanced Management Program at IE

IE’s Global Advanced Management Program is for top-tier managers who are looking to take on C-suite positions in multinational organizations. This program is divided into five modules that reflect these five key trends in global management, giving you the tools to be a well-informed, disruptive leader ready to take on this dynamic and globalized world. Learn more: