Designing a High-Impact Global Leadership Development Program: The Case of I-LEAD

Abstract

Although global leadership development is a top priority for organizations, existing global leadership research has focused more on “what” question – what specific competencies do global leaders need? – than the “how” question – how do leaders develop these competencies? This study responds to a call for a deeper understanding of the processes that multinational organizations can use to develop global leaders. We report a case study of a highly successful global leadership program (known as I-LEAD) in the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association that represents 230 member airlines around the world. We highlight three novel and critical training design elements of the I-LEAD program: 1) using the parsimonious and validated competency model of cultural intelligence (CQ) to design and assess impact of program; 2) constructing authentic learning experiences and ensuring experiential learning; and 3) embedding the training in a larger organizational system to enhance training impact not only on individual leaders, but importantly, on the organization. We present empirical evidence of the impact of the program, based on 54 I-LEAD leader participants and their 161 team members. We also examine how I-LEAD impacts organizational outcomes, leading to financial returns for IATA.