Global perspectives: International experience as the ultimate preparation for today’s leaders

Samantha Ball
Image of two business women in a office talking together over a document
Reading time: 4 minutes

From global marketplaces shipping goods between countries to fast-paced remote teams combining talent from all corners of the world, business has never been more international. 

This multinational, multicultural nature of today’s companies demands more from business leaders. It’s not enough to build a global team, you need to pre-empt and mitigate the challenges that team will face, from overcoming language barriers to navigating new opportunities, and nurturing their differences while creating cohesion. 

We talked to five leaders about how international experience gave them a global perspective that enhanced their leadership abilities, defined their careers, and shaped their personal lives. 

Whats the secret to global business success?
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Perspective delivers performance 

Leading a global business means balancing needs, trends, and opportunities across a wide range of different markets. Having experience in particular regions allows leaders to bring that first-hand perspective to key decisions, but even short periods abroad can significantly benefit team performance. 

A study by MIT’s Sloan School of Management on the high-pressure world of English football's Premier League found a direct link between a team manager's number of countries worked in and team performance. 

For every foreign country a manager had worked in, their team won an extra 1.14 games, or 3.42 points. It’s evidence that global experiences help build some of the fundamental skills needed to lead high-performing teams. 

Identifying cultural blind spots 

Cultural norms and working styles differ significantly around the globe. 

This process of experiencing different ways of working and communicating makes you a more open-minded leader, according to Koru Kids Founder and CEO, Rachel Carrell.  “You’ve got that experience of knowing that there’s a spectrum of styles, all of which can be good; they’re just different,” she adds. That combination of self-awareness and an appreciation for different approaches can help leaders navigate the complexities of a global team. 

A risk taker’s mindset 

Anyone who’s lived abroad knows how difficult those first few months of expat life can be. Whether it’s finding a place to live or making a doctor’s appointment, living abroad often involves throwing yourself into the “cold swimming pool” of language and culture, as Pearson Languages CTO, Gian Paolo Perrucci, describes it. 

Those types of experiences create a level of comfort with taking a risk and giving it a go. “That mindset of trying something and not being afraid to fail is just as relevant in the boardroom as it is in the classroom,” agrees Bart Groen, Managing Director of International Wellbeing, Westfield Health.

Resilience through experience

From navigating culture clashes in working styles to the everyday challenges of living abroad, international experience helps leaders develop the resilience needed to navigate the constantly changing world of business. 

“If you’ve put yourself through a bunch of different, tough experiences in your 20s, you learn that it doesn’t challenge your humanity — you can live with the tension of business and still find your equanimity”, shares Carrell.

Whether it’s a global pandemic or rocky markets, the experience of living abroad teaches adaptability and resilience that’s essential for today’s leaders. 

From clarity to charisma

Poor communication costs businesses time and money, as well as undermining all-important relationships with co-workers and customers. Leaders estimate that teams lose nearly a day a week to poor communication, costing U.S. businesses alone $1.2 trillion a year. 

The risks of miscommunication are even higher in a global team with multiple languages and communication styles. 

“With language, it’s not just the words you use, it’s how you phrase things”, according to Valentina Milanova, CEO and Founder of Daye.  “It’s the things you leave unsaid that can be so different between cultures,” she adds. At the leadership level, the stakes are even higher. 

“Those that are able to articulate their ideas well, to express themselves, to find the right word, tone, or expression at the right time — they’re the ones that inspire confidence in the people listening to them,” says Perrucci. 

Experience communicating with an international audience teaches leaders to prioritize simplicity and clarity, allowing their message to land and stick. Meanwhile, demonstrating effort can help deliver impact. The cultural awareness leaders gain from international experience and practical skills like speaking multiple languages help create strong relationships. 

“My German isn’t perfect,” Groen says, “but the fact that I speak it with my German team creates so much goodwill that half the job of building a positive working relationship is already done.”

Creating cohesion 

Accessing the benefits of a diverse, multicultural team depends on their ability to work as a unit. And that falls to leaders. “You can’t just put people from different backgrounds together and expect them to get along naturally”, Milanova believes. 

It’s a challenge that Milanova and many of the leaders we spoke to have spent a lot of time thinking about. A common solution? Be open about your differences and the challenges the team will face. At Daye, each person on Milanova’s team has a “Working with me” guide, and there are also guides on how to work with each country. 

Leaders with a breadth of global experiences can anticipate the challenges their international teams will face, take steps to mitigate them, and help their teams thrive. 

International experience builds some of the fundamental skills that leaders and their businesses need in today’s world. Experiencing a range of cultures, approaches, and styles allows leaders to question their own defaults and be open to different, creative ideas. 

The adaptability and resilience needed to settle in a place far from home creates a have-a-go mindset and the ability to communicate and connect with many different types of people. At a more fundamental level, international experience teaches leaders to be aware of and comfortable with differences. And only by doing that are they able to bring global teams together. 

Find out how Pearson Language Solutions for Work can support your workforce here

This article is part of Pearson Languages’ series, Global Voices: Leaders on Language and Business, an exclusive exploration into the pivotal role of language in achieving international business excellence. For more in this series, check out the leaders’ full interviews on Pearson Languages’ LinkedIn.

More blogs from Pearson

  • A woman smiling working on a laptop
    Studying in the USA? A fast at-home English test is now an option
    By Abi Fordham
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    If you’re a student planning to study in the USA, life probably feels a bit like having too many tabs open at once. University sites. Visa info. Messages from friends already abroad. And a growing list of things that all feel important.

    Somewhere in the middle of that is your English test.

    A test people trust for good reason

    For years, students have chosen PTE because it’s built to be trusted, backed by real expertise, research and quality. That’s why it’s become a familiar name for students planning to study abroad, and why institutions trust it too. That foundation hasn’t changed. What has changed is how students live, learn, and prepare today.

    Same roots, for different routes

    PTE Express originates from the same principles. Same values. Same attention. It’s simply tailored for a different kind of test taker at a specific point in their journey. If you’re aiming to study in the USA and need a quick, at-home English test, PTE Express is made to fit into your life rather than forcing you to reshape everything around a test date. And let’s address test anxiety because it’s a real concern.

    Many students worry about English tests. Not because they don’t know English, but because test situations can make things feel harder than they should be. Speaking to an examiner face‑to‑face can feel intimidating. Worrying about being misunderstood because of your accent is a real concern. Travelling to a test centre adds pressure before you even start. Sitting in an unfamiliar room can make nerves worse.

    That’s not a lack of ability. That’s just being human. While PTE Academic already addresses lots of these worries, we have gone a step further with PTE Express.

    Why at‑home testing can feel different

    One of the quiet benefits of an at‑home test is how much calmer it can feel. You’re in a familiar space. You control your environment. There’s no examiner in front of you, just you and the screen. For many students, that makes it easier to focus and show their real English, without the extra stress that comes from unfamiliar settings or face‑to‑face pressure. PTE Express was designed with this in mind: calm, considered, and supportive, while still being secure and trusted by institutions.

    When the USA is the plan

    If you already know the USA is your destination, things can start to feel more time‑sensitive. Deadlines get closer. Decisions feel heavier. You’re no longer exploring, you’re preparing your next move. PTE Express fits naturally here. It’s a fast, at‑home option for US study, built on the foundations of Pearson that students already trust, and delivered in a way that works for when life is busy and timelines are tight.

    A choice that actually reduces pressure

    The good news is, you don’t have to overthink this. If you want to keep your options open across different countries, there’s a trusted path in PTE Academic that supports that. If you’re focused on studying in the USA and want something fast, familiar and at home, there’s now an option designed for exactly that. No trade‑offs. No feeling like you’re cutting corners. Just choices that match different moments.

    Focus on what really matters

    Studying in the USA is a big step. It’s about independence, growth and starting something new. Your English test should feel like something that supports you quietly in the background, not something that adds more stress to an already intense moment. With PTE Express now live in most countries, including India, students heading to the USA have a calm, trusted at‑home option, built on foundations that have been relied on for years. And sometimes, feeling calm and confident is exactly what helps you do your best.  

  • Man sat outdoors holding a tablet smiling
    Understanding and managing technostress
    By Amy Malloy
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    What is technostress?

    If you find yourself constantly checking social media or feeling pressure to keep up with the latest technology, you may be experiencing technostress. It can show up in different ways, including difficulty focusing on everyday tasks, low motivation or mood, and anxiety around using technology. It even causes some people to avoid digital tools altogether.

    Technostress affects people differently, but at its core is a shared experience, as Chiapetta (2017) defines it: “Technostress is a syndrome that occurs when a person, subjected to information overload and continuous contact with digital devices, develops a state of stress.” This constant exposure to technology has only got more extreme since Chiapetta since defined the syndrome. As a result, technostress is something that more and more people are likely to experience.

  • Students working outside at a wooden bench looking over papers
    Re-engaging learners after the mid-term slump
    By Charlotte Guest
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    Midway through a language course, many teachers observe a common shift: students who were eager to participate at the start become less active and find it harder to initiate speaking activities.

    This phase, known as the mid-term slump, is a typical part of the learning process. As the novelty wears off, workloads increase and students may struggle to see their progress. However, effective teaching strategies can quickly boost motivation again; by modifying classroom activities, reconnecting with students’ motivations and realigning goals, teachers can help students regain their interest in language learning. Here are practical methods for language educators to re-engage students after any mid-semester decline.

    How do you recognize the mid-term slump in language learning?

    Look out for these common signs of the mid-term slump:

    • Reduced participation in speaking activities
    • Lower homework completion rates
    • Less willingness to take risks when speaking
    • A noticeable drop in classroom energy

    Recognizing these signs early allows teachers to introduce new strategies that help students regain focus and motivation.

    Why do students lose interest mid-term?

    Students often experience falls in motivation, enthusiasm and engagement halfway through a course as the initial excitement of learning something new fades, especially if progress feels slow. Although they may be steadily improving, students can easily get frustrated when they cannot yet communicate fluently. Any combination of the following factors can cause or exacerbate a mid-term slump, and understanding them helps teachers respond effectively.

    1. The novelty effect wears off

    At the start of a course, everything feels new and exciting. By mid-semester, routines are established and lessons can begin to feel repetitive.

    2. Cognitive fatigue

    Language learning requires sustained mental effort. After weeks of learning new vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, students may feel mentally tired.

    3. Unclear progress

    Many students struggle to recognize how much they have improved. If learners cannot see their progress, they may believe they are not advancing.

    4. Competing priorities

    Mid-semester often coincides with exams or assignments in other subjects, which can shift students’ attention away from language study. Acknowledging these challenges helps teachers design strategies that address motivation directly.

    Strategies for keeping students interested in language learning

    Small changes to classroom routines can make a big difference in engagement. The strategies below are especially effective during the second half of a course.

    1. Reset learning goals with students

    Mid-semester is an ideal time to revisit learning objectives. Ask students what they hope to achieve before the course ends.

    For example, learners might aim to:

    • Hold a five-minute conversation
    • Master a set number of vocabulary words
    • Improve pronunciation confidence

    Clear, short-term goals help restore motivation and give students something concrete to work toward.

    2. Introduce gamified review activities

    Games bring energy back into the classroom while reinforcing key concepts.

    Examples include:

    • Vocabulary competitions
    • Quiz-based team challenges
    • Role-playing scenarios
    • Language trivia games

    Gamified activities provide a review without feeling repetitive, which helps combat routine fatigue.

    3. Rotate collaborative learning formats

    Changing how students interact can refresh classroom dynamics.

    Consider introducing:

    • Pair interviews
    • Small group debates
    • Rotating conversation partners
    • Problem-solving tasks in the target language

    These formats encourage social learning, which increases participation and confidence.

    4. Connect lessons to real-world language use

    Students stay motivated when they see how language skills apply outside the classroom.

    Try activities such as:

    • Analyzing song lyrics or film clips
    • Planning a fictional trip abroad
    • Ordering food through role-play scenarios
    • Discussing current events

    Real-world contexts make language learning more meaningful and memorable

    5. Revisit student learning preferences

    Different students engage with language in different ways. A mid-semester check-in can help teachers adapt lessons.

    Ask learners questions like:

    • What classroom activities help you remember vocabulary best?
    • When do you feel most confident speaking?
    • What topics would you like to discuss in class?

    This feedback allows teachers to adjust instruction and create more engaging lessons.

    6. Celebrate small progress milestones

    Students often underestimate their improvement.

    Highlighting progress can boost confidence and motivation. Teachers might:

    • Recognize vocabulary milestones
    • Celebrate improved pronunciation
    • Showcase successful conversations
    • Track weekly progress charts

    Acknowledging growth reminds students that their effort is paying off.

    Brain-based strategies that boost engagement

    Research on learning and cognition shows that certain teaching techniques improve motivation and retention.

    Novelty: Introducing new formats, topics or activities stimulates attention and curiosity.

    Social learning: Students learn more effectively when interacting with peers through discussion and collaboration.

    Movement: Short physical activities or role-playing exercises can re-energize learners and improve focus.

    Spaced practice: Reviewing material regularly in smaller sessions helps students retain vocabulary and grammar more effectively.

    Applying these principles can help sustain engagement throughout the semester.

    Questions teachers can ask to re-engage learners

    Mid-term feedback helps teachers understand what students need to stay motivated.

    Consider asking students:

    • Which classroom activities help you learn the most?
    • What part of language learning feels most challenging right now?
    • What topics would you enjoy discussing in class?
    • What skills would you like to improve before the course ends?
    • What type of practice helps you remember vocabulary best?

    These conversations strengthen teacher-student relationships and ensure lessons meet learners’ needs.

    How SMART goals help restore momentum

    One effective way to overcome the mid-term slump is to set SMART goals, objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

    For example: