According to one survey of senior executives, roughly 30 percent of U.S. companies admit they have not fully exploited their international growth opportunities because they do not have sufficient global leaders among their ranks. Assess the reasons for the lack of global leadership in such a scenario.

Answers will vary. To grow successfully abroad, companies need sufficient global leadership among all ranks, but especially among those individuals who can influence decisions that are made across national borders. However, many organizations struggle to develop people with global leadership skills. A big part of this stems from the fact that, too often, lower-level managers don't rate developing their own global leadership as a high priority. Instead, they see competencies like strategic thinking and execution, which help them with their immediate responsibilities, as most important to their performance, and they pursue those skills. As these managers rise through the organization to positions in which global leadership becomes a central priority, it becomes clear they have made little effort to develop the global competency they need.
The section "What Is Global Leadership?" on pages 291-292 discusses the reasons for the lack of global leaders in U.S. companies. Students can use this section to make their own interpretation and answer this question.