Essential to Polycentric Leadership is this ability to collaborate across these various centers of influence. The key for success is in collaborating across the different centers of operation, within and across our multiethnic teams, and working to assess the various entrepreneurs, sectors of the industry and cultural contexts. To enable us to lead and discern well, we have multiple centers, with offices and leadership teams in each location. Each stage brings its own set of challenges, requiring us to discern when we can help and what, in the end, will generate the most profit. It begins with vetting the companies, some of which are startups and others are moving toward liquidity. The complexity of these ventures is immense. Operating in all these locations with different entrepreneurs requires us to deal with leaders whose mindsets are different from one another. In addition, we work in multiple geographies, especially the United States, Canada, Israel, and India. If you look at our firm in detail, you will find that we invest in diverse sectors that include healthcare and e-commerce, infrastructure for building enterprise software, cloud platforms, and cyber security platforms and applications. There are some interesting aspects of polycentric leadership that come into play as we manage our firm.

2 This model gained traction as an ever-more-globalizing world grappled with rising polarization and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.Īt Norwest Venture Partners, I (Promod) have been experimenting with aspects of this model for several years. Following this path led me to form a new theoretical model for Global Leadership, Polycentric Leadership. I became convinced that a new approach to leadership was needed. The challenge of keeping such a complex team focused and on the same page led me onto a path of discovery. Most members of the leadership group brought an ethnocentric point of view to bear, while those who had worked cross-culturally pushed toward a broader frame of reference. Some wanted us to emphasize planning, while others insisted on keeping vision front and center. It was a challenge to keep such a diverse leadership group together.

Teamwork effectiveness and cross-cultural acumen are imperative for success.Įarly in my career (Joe), I was hired to lead a bilingual global congress that spanned five continents. 1 These models show promise as businesses increasingly engage diverse customers and work across multiple cultures and nations. The development of fresh Global Leadership models has accelerated over the last few decades.

Promod haque