The Complex Self-Concept of the Global Leader

Abstract

This chapter examines the complexity of global leaders themselves. As global leadership research has begun to move beyond a limiting overemphasis on skills and competencies, we merge one focus on the deep structure of leader cognition with a focus on cultural identity that has matured largely independently. In so doing, we seek to push the field toward answering the broader question of what makes a global leader sufficiently complex to handle the vast complexities of the role. We place the construct of self-concept complexity as central to the performance of global leaders in ways ranging from organizational performance to social and community responsibility. By advancing our understanding of the role of self-concept complexity in driving global leadership outcomes, this research seeks to spur further theoretical development and practical application toward a deeper comprehension of the complexity of truly global leaders.

Citation

Herman, J.L. and Zaccaro, S.J. (2014), "The Complex Self-Concept of the Global Leader", Advances in Global Leadership (Advances in Global Leadership, Vol. 8), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 93-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1535-120320140000008013