In order to assess leadership potential, it is necessary to define the characteristics of a good leader first. However, when seeking candidates, the task is still difficult for interviewers because, although these leaders have had years of experience, past behaviour is not always a significant indicator of future success for a number of reasons. Farid Muna explains what these reasons are.

1. CULTIVATING
MULTICULTURAL
LEADERS
FARID MUNA
© Copyright 2012 London Business School

2. But what are the characteristics
of a successful
multicultural leader?
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3. Most outstanding multicultural
leaders go through three
distinct stages of development.
1 2 3
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4. Potential leaders, people who have acquired some or
1 all of the early ingredients for leadership success
starting from childhood.
These people then become aspiring leaders, those who
2 during their careers have taken some or all of the
paths that are part of the journey to success.
After a time, some of them develop into outstanding
3 leaders.
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5. Potential leaders acquired some or all
of the following five ingredients for
leadership success during their
childhood, adolescence, educational
years and very early in their careers:
1 2 3 4 5
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6. 1 Self-development They
exhibit an insatiable thirst and
hunger for more knowledge
and self-improvement.
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7. 2 Taking responsibility They
have assumed responsibility
early in life (from childhood to
their early 20s)
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8. 3 Ethics and values They have
learned (from early in their
lives) to believe in integrity,
honesty, hard work, respect for
time and social responsibility.
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9. 4 High-quality education They have
strong analytical skills and are
creative thinkers; they also have
strong social, team and leadership
skills, which are learned mainly
through extra-curricular activities.
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10. 5 Exposure and role models They
are open to learning from
others, from experience, from
other cultures and from role
models.
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11. Aspiring leaders also need special development;
the key is to look for individuals who work hard,
smart and focused; implement training and career
development plans; engage in self-development
activities; develop cultural sensitivity; have
sharpened emotional intelligence; and learn from
experience and adversity.
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12. Outstanding leaders are special. When it comes to
finding these more experienced leaders (either
from within or outside the organisation), it is
important to look for those who have already shown
potential for growth and more responsibility.
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13. When seeking candidates, the task is difficult for
interviewers because, although these leaders have
had years of experience, past behaviour is not
always a significant indicator of future success for
three reasons:
1 2 3
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14. 1 It is difficult to measure competencies and
leadership potential. Candidates for leadership
positions must be asked probing questions
about actual (not hypothetical)
accomplishments, behaviour and situations. In
addition, references (other than those supplied
by the candidate) need to be pursued.
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15. 2 Strengths and weaknesses in one context may
not be the same in a different context, culture
or situation. (E.g., Scott McNealy’s high-
minded resolve became obstinacy at Sun
Microsystems.)
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16. 3 A person being assessed for a leadership
position invariably wears a mask (or several
masks) when being interviewed. The task of
the interviewer is to discover what that mask
may be hiding.
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17. Farid Muna holds a PhD from London Business School and
is Chairman of Meirc Training & Consulting. His latest book,
co-authored with Ziad A Zennie, is Developing Multicultural
Leaders: The Journey to Leadership Success (Palgrave
Macmillan, 2011).
This report was part of Business Strategy Review, Volume
22 Issue 2 date 2011
Visit our website www.london.edu/bsr
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