Leaders say studying abroad improved their skills, survey finds

Dive Brief:

International education shapes leadership in the workplace and supports career development, according to a new report from the American Institute For Foreign Study and the Institute of International Education. 
Of the 44 leaders surveyed across more than 20 industries, 98% said their experiences studying abroad affected their professional growth, career trajectory and skill development. Meanwhile, 96% said their international studies “widened their mindset and supported the development of cross-cultural communication skills.”
Respondents also said their time abroad increased their self-awareness, confidence and adaptability as well as their ability to manage across multiple cultural and organizational contexts. It also helped improve their strategic thinking skills, with 78% saying their international studies led them to develop “a global, systems-level perspective.”

Dive Insight:

The study examined the impact of study abroad experiences on leadership identity and capacity in sectors such as science and technology, medicine, the arts, sports, business, law, military service, education, public service and nonprofits.

Respondents said international education represented “an early turning point that influenced how they approached leadership” for their entire careers.

“As technology reshapes the modern workplace, the skills that are hardest to automate — leadership, communication, cultural intelligence, and adaptability — are becoming increasingly important,” Melanie French, executive director of the AIFS Foundation, said in a statement.

The research suggested that both higher education institutions and workplaces should consider the significance of creating and supporting programs that enable international education as a means to improving leadership development programs.

“International experience is a fundamental necessity for success in the tech industry,” Brittany Hardy, monetized policy lead at Google, said in a statement. “In this industry, a leader who has navigated foreign environments is better equipped to anticipate how a global policy might land differently in various markets, ensuring that products remain safe and relevant for everyone. This mindset allows a professional to move from simply executing tasks to providing the strategic, inclusive leadership required to manage a worldwide user base.”

Ideas about leadership skills and training are becoming an important aspect of overall talent development, according to a recent report from the Association for Talent Development. That study found that almost half of U.S. companies surveyed now offer leadership development programs to all their employees, with almost 79% of respondents reporting that work culture had improved as a result.