#31 The Impact of Returnees

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Human Resources in History. This podcast aims to offer insights from 7,000 years of human history to help modern human resource practices. I'm your host, Jin.

I'm an HR professional, and I love history. The script of this podcast is generated using AI, and it's based on our blog post, which we published a few weeks ago under the same topic. This voice is a synthetic clone of my real voice and it is generated using AI. Today we're talking about something that's becoming more and more relevant in the corporate world, global experience.

Have you ever wondered how traveling or living abroad can shape someone's leadership potential? Well, history has some fascinating examples for us. we're going to look at how international experiences shaped three major leaders of the 20th century. Ho Chi Minh, Sun Yat-sen, and Mahatma Gandhi.

These guys didn't just stay in their home countries and lead revolutions. They traveled, studied, and lived abroad, gaining knowledge and perspectives that fueled their leadership back home. And here's the kicker. what they went through in their time mirrors, what modern HR professionals can do to develop transformational leaders in companies today.

So let's dig into it. Let's start with Ho Chi Minh. Known as the founding father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh led the struggle for Vietnamese independence and later became the first president of North Vietnam. Born in 1890 in the northern in Vietnam, he was a revolutionary leader, a nationalist, and a key figure in the communist movement.

Now, Ho Chi Minh wasn't just a revolutionary figure in Vietnam. He was a global citizen before he became a national leader. He lived in France, the Soviet Union, and China, and during those years, he built connections, studied political theories, and learned different revolutionary tactics. In France, he played a part in forming the French Communist Party.

In China, he worked with Vietnamese exiles, setting the foundation for his leadership. Eventually, he returned to Vietnam and led the country's independence movement against both the French and later the US-backed South Vietnamese government. Now let's jump to China. Sun Yat-sen, often referred to as the father of modern China played a crucial role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and establishing the Republic of China Born in 1866 in Guangdong province he was a revolutionary a physician, and a political thinker.

His ideas laid the foundation for modern Chinese governance. The Republic of China, founded in 1912, was the first attempt at establishing a democratic government in China after over two millennia of imperial rule. It existed as the internationally recognized government of China until 1949 when the Communist Party took control and founded the People's Republic of China, leading the Republic of China to relocate to Taiwan. As a child, Sun Yat-sen lived in Hawaii for five years, where he got a Western education.

Later, after a decade working in medicine, he returned to Honolulu and founded a revolutionary society aimed at overthrowing the Qing government. His global connections played a crucial role in shaping his ideas. Eventually, he formulated the three people's principles, nationalism, democracy, and people's livelihood. which became the foundation of modern China.

And of course, we can't talk about global influence without mentioning Mahatma Gandhi, born in 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal town in present-day Gujarat, India. He was a lawyer, political activist, and a key figure in India's struggle for independence. He studied law in London and then spent 21 years in South Africa, where he developed his philosophy of satyagraha, nonviolent resistance. This period of his life was crucial.

He saw discrimination firsthand, particularly against Indians in South Africa, and this experience turned him into a leader. When he finally returned to India in 1915, he used nonviolent resistance as a tool to lead the independence movement against British colonial rule, mobilizing millions through peaceful protests and civil disobedience. So what's the common thread here? These leaders didn't just learn from books or mentors in their home countries.

They had firsthand exposure to different cultures, governance systems, and revolutionary ideas And when they returned home they applied those experiences to drive change All right so what does all this mean for HR professionals today How can we translate these historical lessons into corporate leadership development? Let's break it down into four key aspects. The first step in any transformation, whether in politics or in business, is recognizing the right problem. It sounds simple, but it's not.

You need knowledge, contextual understanding, and sharp analytical skills. When leaders experience different cultures, they start seeing inefficiencies in their own systems. They learn new ways of doing things. That's why global exposure is such a game changer.

It expands the way leaders think about problems. In a corporate setting, that might mean sending high potential employees abroad so they can identify areas for innovation when they return. Once you recognize the problem, you need a plan to fix it. Leaders who've spent time abroad gain access to different problem-solving methods and management styles.

They aren't stuck in one way of thinking. For example, an employee who has worked in both Japan and the U.S. will probably have a unique mix of structured long-term planning, a Japanese strength, and quick risk-taking decision-making, which American companies are great at.

By giving future leaders global experiences, companies equip them with a diverse toolbox for managing change. Leadership is not one size fits all. To lead effectively, you have to understand your own strengths and weaknesses. And nothing builds self-awareness quite like being thrown into a completely unfamiliar environment.

When leaders live abroad, they're constantly questioned, challenged, and sometimes even ignored. They have to navigate cultural differences, which forces them to reflect on their own behavior. This kind of self-awareness is invaluable in leadership. It helps people adapt their management style depending on the situation.

Transformation doesn't happen overnight. Whether you're leading a political revolution or a corporate restructuring, you're going to face resistance. Ho Chi Minh, Sun Yat-sen and Gandhi all faced incredible challenges but their global experiences made them more resilient they had already been through culture shocks discrimination and failures abroad so they knew how to handle obstacles this is why HR professionals should look for people who have spent time adapting to new environments They're likely to be the ones who push through tough changes.

So how can HR actively build and support transformational leaders with global exposure? Here are some practical ideas. If you're looking for leaders who can drive transformation, consider targeting returnees, people who have spent significant time abroad and have returned to their home country. They bring a mix of local and global perspectives, which is a huge asset for companies.

A great way to do this is through LinkedIn searches. For example, if your company is based in France but wants a leader with experience in the fast-growing Chinese market. You can filter your search for fluent French speakers who are currently based in China. You can also visit universities abroad and recruit students who plan to return home after graduation.

If hiring externally isn't an option, why not develop global experience in-house? One way to do this is through expatriate programs, sending employees to foreign offices. A cost-effective alternative is short-term assignments. Many governments even offer tax incentives for companies that send young professionals abroad.

For instance, France has the VIE program, which allows young European professionals to work abroad for 6 to 24 months, while their salary is covered by a French company. Transformational leaders often feel isolated because they think differently from the norm. Companies can retain and support them by creating communities for returnees and expatriates. Something as simple as organizing regular meetups or mentorship programs can make a huge difference in helping them integrate and thrive.

So does having a passport full of stamps guarantee leadership potential? Not necessarily, but in a world where change is the only constant, global experience is a powerful tool for leadership. Companies that recognize and cultivate globally minded talent will be in the best position to lead transformation in the future. That's it for today's episode of Human Resources in History.

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you next time.