Our recent research has focused on identifying the specific leadership skills that distinguish great CIOs. The findings from our study, used as the basis of the book I co-authored, The CIO Edge (Harvard Business Review Press, 2010), are meant to generalize to a broad audience of CIOs. But what happens, we asked, when focusing on just one particular group — Global CIOs? What do they need to succeed and achieve stellar results, and do their requirements differ from CIOs who aren’t leading on a global stage?

My conclusion is that one of the seven skills my co-authors and I profiled in the book —namely, “Embracing Your Softer Side” — takes on a particular significance in a global context. This is the skill set that is perhaps the most difficult to manage across cultures and time zones, but also the one with the largest upside impact when practiced successfully.

It has often been said that CIOs — with their technical backgrounds and focus — are not as adept at “soft skills” as some other executives. We believe that not only is this changing, but that these skills are critical when it comes to dispersed workgroups. Three skills in particular are key to effectively building and managing relationships in an international context, and the first is understanding. Clearly, people are different across the world, and some differences matter more than others. The trouble is that determining which ones matter and how they matter isn’t always clear. A deep understanding of both the individual and the surrounding cultural context is required to make this all come into focus.

Also essential to building understanding is being open and receptive. The trump-card skill here is listening: Not just hearing but listening. If you are to truly understand someone’s ideas, beliefs, aspirations and concerns, you need to exercise your patience, restrain your own desire to talk, and truly listen.

Humor, surprisingly, also plays a role. By establishing a light, but still productive tone to your interactions and allowing humor to surface, you give others an opportunity to express themselves and you also gain a glimpse into who they are.

And it’s important to note that understanding is a two-way street. It is just as important for you to give of yourself as it is to draw others out. As a result of being fair and caring, high-performing CIOs engender a deep sense of loyalty and “followership,” even when tough decisions are called for. Likewise, the ability to relate to all kinds of people fosters a bond and a platform for collaborative relationships and working through tough issues. Finally, personal disclosure of the appropriate type and frequency gives others the opportunity to know “the real you.”

Bridging Distances
While this advice may appear to be straightforward, it leads to the central paradox in being a global CIO — you can actually gain strength as a leader by being vulnerable. In other words, by demonstrating vulnerability — hoping that others will open themselves up in return — successful CIOs, like other executives, are creating an environment that facilitates understanding and sets the stage for stronger relationships. Distance is an important consideration here — the farther away you are from others, the more you have to draw them in.

The role of technology is paradoxical as well. Obviously, technology has enabled us to become instantly connected to one another across any distance. And yet, a misuse or overreliance on technology can cause as many stumbling blocks as it eliminates — particularly when it comes to building relationships and solving complex matters that tap into emotions, beliefs and personal values.

Sometimes the old-fashioned, people-to-people skills just can’t be replaced. By embracing your soft side and showing a willingness to be vulnerable, you become more connected to your team, which can make a very large and impersonal world just a bit smaller and more manageable.

George Hallenbeck is Director of Intellectual Property Development at Korn/Ferry Leadership & Talent Consulting based in Singapore. He is also co-author, along with Graham Waller and Karen Rubenstrunk of The CIO Edge, published last year by Harvard Business Review Press.

George is a member of Smart Enteprise Exchange and can be reached on the community. A version of this blog appears in George’s Thought Leadership blog here.