Mr Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Renault and President and CEO of Nissan, received the INSEAD 2008 Transcultural Leadership Award. The presentation was made by INSEAD Dean Frank Brown at the second annual INSEAD Leadership Summit, the Business School for the World, at its Europe campus in Fontainebleau, France. The award will also be presented to Mr Ghosn at an award dinner in New York on 28 April. The award was established to recognise those individuals who believe in the importance and necessity of working across borders.
Mr Ghosn is widely credited with turning around Nissan. He told delegates at the INSEAD summit that when he first arrived in Japan in1999, he faced a daunting task. ‘I think one of the basics of transcultural leadership is empathy, respect and I would say - even though the term today is not very popular - love the country and love the culture in which you are in,’ he said. ‘And try to learn about its strengths. Don’t focus on the weaknesses, and make sure that all the people you are transferring with you are of the same opinion.’
He also said what helped his leadership during his years in Japan was his extensive and direct exchanges with the Nissan staff. But it was his public declaration to resign if the three commitments of the Nissan Revival Plan were not achieved that won him support. It was, he told the Summit, reminiscent of Japan’s own historical concepts of honour. Mr Ghosn added: ‘They said: “Let’s give him the benefit of a doubt.” That’s what I wanted, and for them to judge me on results. That’s where it started!’
He told attendees at the Summit that Renault will build attractive electric cars, with lighter batteries, to mass market in Israel by 2011. Mr Ghosn said a spin off from the project was it attracted highly talented people who wanted to make a difference in the world. “Now, particularly for this generation, every time you give a project an environmental meaning, you have spontaneous candidates coming along,” he said.
Mr Ghosn called for company leaders to make the most of the diversity of their human resources and he highlighted the need to help women’s career prospects. He said in Japan he was determined to increase the percentage of women working in Nissan management. He later won an award for his efforts in increasing their representation in management ten fold from 0.5 percent to 5 percent.
Appropriately for a recipient of the Transcultural Leadership Award, Mr Ghosn has a multi-cultural background - French by nationality, he was born in Brazil to Lebanese parents and later moved to Beirut.
The first Transcultural Leadership Award was presented in 2007 to John Thain and Jean-Françcois Théodore, Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Officer, respectively, of NYSE Euronext.
Mr. Ghosn will receive the INSEAD 2008 Transcultural Leadership Award at the Award Dinner to be held at the Racquet & Tennis Club, 370 Park Avenue, New York City, New York.
