In today’s simulation we worked as a group on Global Collaboration Simulation: Tip of the Iceberg. Students are assigned the role of a native English speaker or a nonnative English speaker at their organization, I was a nonnative English speaker in both simulations. The simulation constrains the ways in which the native and nonnative speakers can interact, and the resulting experience replicates communication patterns in real globally diverse and distributed teams. The goal of the simulation was to create a presentation that includes information from every individual. The first stimulation was harder for me because I could barely understand what native speakers are talking about. After discussing as a class what can be done to improve team communication and collaboration, the interaction became easier, because everyone knew the capabilities of other team members. This online simulation teaches students about the difficulties in cross-cultural communication and managing global teams.

Challenges working on global collaboration may include scheduling, culture, language and technology failures. Identification of these collaborators and getting to know them is critical in every setting and should not be underestimated in a global collaboration. I have learnt these challenges, and I can overcome them. I need to be more patient to others, and a good leader must be sure that everyone is on the same page.

I have learned a lot about leadership concepts during this course. Leadership has no right definition, but for me it is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. I learnt that leadership stems from social influence, not authority or power. Leadership requires others. This learning is significant, because I understand what a good leader should look like and how to act. Leaders need to be flexible so they can modify their own style in response to unpredictable circumstances. Good leaders should also have a global competency, so they can make differences around the world. Great leaders are not just focused on getting group members to finish tasks; they have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for the projects they work on. It is possible to develop this leadership quality by thinking of different ways that you can express your zeal. A good leader should let people know that you care about their progress. When one person shares something with the rest of the group, I would make sure to tell the person how much I appreciate such contributions.

Start. Stop. Continue. Change. Talking about these words, I would like to stop thinking of leadership as a power or influence, but to start thinking of it more as a tool to inspire people, serve as a role model. I believe that leaders are able to foster a specific belief and then transmit that inspiration to their followers. As a result, followers are optimistic and have high standards for performance and achievement. I will continue developing my leadership skills, such as communication, creativity, and motivation, but I would change my approach to doing this. Leaders set direction and help themselves and others to move forward. They create an inspiring vision, they motivate and inspire others to reach that vision.