Those in international business are exposed daily to a bewildering variety of alue systems and differing business practices. To communicate effectively in this hectic business environment requires an understanding of other cultures, an awareness of the interdependence of nations, and the need to break interfering cultural barriers in order to find productive ways to work constructively with people of all cultures.

  Today, the changing nature of business and the increasing amount of commerce conducted by global organizations require a fundamentally differ-ent kind of leader. Cosmopolitan leaders are familiar with their own culture as well as those that make up the world bazaar. They see in these multiple cultural orientations a vast array of opportunities and are willing to accept a degree of predictable risk to achieve their goals. They are technologically savvy but not prone to getting lost in details or overlooking the personal touch; entrepre-neurial and passionate about what they do as well as rhetorically sensitive to others; and inspirational and inclusive rather than independent or autocratic. Being flexible, open-minded, and person-centered, they are willing to initiate communication and cooperatively pursue their objectives. For them, the inter-national business terrain is a dynamic and active milieu.