Written on
January 30th, 2012
Jan Bartscht says that 21st century leadership is about dealing with growth’s consequences. “Anything that grows becomes complex and complex things breed chaos,” Bartscht said Jan. 26, 2012, at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. As director and co-founder of leadership training company, Adepicos, Ltd, based in the United Kingdom, Bartscht teaches people how to lead in today’s world, which he describes as “complex, chaotic and changing.” | Video: Creating Boundaries For Growth (2:47)
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January 24th, 2012
Middle East activists seeking increased political freedom have suffered setbacks in recent weeks, but Thunderbird School of Global Management Professor Paul Kinsinger said events still could turn in their favor. “Many younger people are feeling disappointed by recent developments,” Kinsinger said Jan. 18, 2012, during an alumni webinar. “What we have to hope for is that they are down but not out, that there may be further room for improvement.” Kinsinger, a retired U.S. intelligence officer who returned recently from a trip to Saudi Arabia, said events in Egypt and other Mideast countries are still evolving. “We have yet to see how the secular players in Egypt are going to manifest any sense of power in future elections or with a new parliament in Egypt or in the rewriting of a constitution in Egypt,” he said. “It is just not clear yet.” Watch the full webinar on the Thunderbird Knowledge Network. | Video: Arab Spring One Year Later (57:49)
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January 23rd, 2012
By Thunderbird Professor Karen Walch
As a political science Ph.D. candidate, I was required to learn the secrets of power as taught by classical figures who advocate stealth, deception and manipulation. These warriors, political advisers, historians and philosophers teach that mercy has no place at the negotiation table. This approach works well when a problem can only be solved by crushing your opponent. But as a professor of cross-cultural negotiation at Thunderbird School of Global Management, I have observed a new set of laws for 21st century negotiators who live and work in a global economy. Rather than crushing their opponents, these negotiators often find themselves in situations where they must build lasting relationships of trust. I explore nine secrets of power for 21st century negotiators in my new book, Seize the Sky: Nine Secrets of Negotiation Power.
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January 13th, 2012
Knowledge flowed from Glendale, Arizona, when more than 1,000 participants gathered to converse with 95 speakers from 79 organizations and 48 countries at the inaugural Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue. “The world needs global leaders,” Thunderbird School of Global Management President Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., said during his welcoming remarks at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa near campus. “We need people who can seize opportunities created by globalization, who can create value and who can contribute to a more sustainable and more inclusive global economy—one that does not put at risk those who come behind us and does not leave people out.” Panelists and keynote speakers from government, business and social sector organizations shared ideas on everything from global finance to social media strategy during the two-day event Nov. 10-11, 2011. The following quotes represent a sampling from the event.
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December 19th, 2011
Thunderbird School of Global Management’s traditional Parade of Flags took a twist Dec. 16 2011, when students from Germany and Greece found themselves on stage together during fall commencement in Glendale, Arizona, while a debt crisis escalates in Europe. “While we were rehearsing this morning, we realized that Greece and Germany are so close together alphabetically,” said German flag bearer Severin Nesselhauf ’11. “But in reality in times of crisis, it seems that our countries are so far apart.” The Parade of Flags, which has been part of Thunderbird commencement ceremonies for nearly 30 years, allows international students to represent their countries and to speak briefly about their culture, history and national attractions. Typically two students stand on stage together based on alphabetical order. | Video: Thunderbird Flag Ceremony, Fall 2011 (23:15) | Photos: View 496 graduation images on Flickr
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Written on
December 19th, 2011
The world awaits the innovation that will come from Thunderbird School of Global Management graduates in the coming decades, retired Target Chairman and CEO Bob Ulrich said during his keynote address Dec. 16, 2011, at winter commencement. “Your creative ideas are what the world is waiting for,” said Ulrich, who received an honorary Doctor of International Law from Thunderbird during the ceremony. “Your ideas will help shape how we live in the rest of the 21st century.” Ulrich spoke to more than 170 graduates from 30 countries at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel and Spa near Thunderbird’s main campus in Glendale, Arizona. | Video: Thunderbird Winter 2011 Commencement (2:07:38) | Video: Graduates share their greatest T-bird moments (5:21) | Photos: View 496 graduation images on Flickr
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December 14th, 2011
By Dr. Eileen Borris, Thunderbird Adjunct Professor
We all have perceptual filters that make communication a complex process. Two people who hear the same message attach different meanings based on their different circumstances and history. The communication process becomes even more complex when messages span political, geographic and cultural boundaries. When you go to another country or region, you must deal with an overlay of other variables. You must consider different perceptions of time and space. Some cultures favor direct communication, while others favor indirect communication. Sometimes yes means no in the broader cultural context. In the cross-cultural communication courses I teach at Thundebird School of Global Management, we focus on 10 dimensions of culture that influence the communication process. Learn more in this Thunderbird Knowledge Network video. | Video: Communication across borders (1:41)
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Written on
December 1st, 2011
As a leader, BP Group CEO Bob Dudley ‘79 spends most of his time listening. “Many leadership problems can be traced to poor communication,” he said Nov. 10, 2011, during the opening keynote at the inaugural Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue in Glendale, Arizona. “In BP we talk about listening to the quietest voice in the room.” He said BP managers must train themselves to pick up “weak signals” that come from people reluctant to shout when they have something important to say. “We must listen to people on the front lines,” said Dudley, who provided a behind-the-scenes look at BP’s response to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Download the full podcast here from Thunderbird School of Global Management. | Podcast: Leading in Times of Crisis (47:09)
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Written on
December 1st, 2011
Individuals, organizations and countries looking for an edge in the new global economy can find all the wisdom they need from three fortune cookies collected by retired Intel CEO and Chairman Craig Barrett. “During any period of transition, people win and lose market share,” Barrett said Nov. 10, 2011, during a keynote luncheon at the inaugural Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue in Glendale, Arizona. “These three fortunes contain all the wisdom you need to win in an era of historic transformation.” The first fortune says: “The world will always accept talent with open arms.” Barrett said this message highlights the importance of education, the process of discovering passion and harnessing the human potential. The second fortune says: “You cannot win unless you choose to compete.” Barrett said too many people in mature markets resent the upstarts from China, India and elsewhere. Instead of complaining about the new global economy, they need to start competing. The third fortune says: “A small deed done is better than a great deed planned.” Barrett said people need to recognize that the power to win lies within themselves if they are willing to take action. “Stop looking to others to solve your problems,” he said. “Stop waiting on government.” Download the full podcast here from Thunderbird School of Global Management. | Podcast: Global Reputation Management (37:39)
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Written on
December 1st, 2011
Global leaders will have opportunities to create a more inclusive, more sustainable society in the next 15 years as the world moves toward a low-carbon economy. “It is an opportunity to reinvent our lives — the way we work, the way we transport ourselves, and the way we interact in society,” former Costa Rican President José María Figueres said Nov. 10, 2011, in the evening keynote at the inaugural Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue in Glendale, Arizona. Figueres said a successful transition to the “Industrial Revolution 2.0″ will hinge on society’s ability to navigate three complex issues. The first two issues include population growth and energy consumption. These create pressure to solve the third issue, which is climate change. “It is here,” Figueres said. “It is not about the future.” Download the full podcast here from Thunderbird School of Global Management. | Podcast: Toward a Low-Carbon Economy (45:57)
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