Setting up Thai leaders for success in Asia and worldwide

To bring concrete answers to this timely question, the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce organised a panel discussion with Chalermpong Darongsuwan, managing director of Philips Electronics Thailand, Nardrerdee Arj-Harnwongse, chief people officer at Total Access Communicaton (DTAC), Catherine Jucker, head of manufacturing, emerging Asia, at Baxter Healthcare (Asia), and Jean-Francois Cousin, global executive coach at Greatness Leadership Coaching.
The four speakers first acknowledged several strengths characterising many Thai leaders, such as their energy for success, thirst for learning, care for others, “family values” at work, pragmatism, resilience in the face of challenges, flexibility when change is unavoidable, and collaboration in tough times.
Such strengths, they remarked, are global assets in a business world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
However, Thai leaders must surmount a few cultural barriers to bring those assets fully to bear in regional or global leadership teams.
The panellists recommended that Thai leaders:
Muster the courage to speak up – even in imperfect English – to make a difference, while staying considerate of others;
Focus more on performance and provide feedback for improvement, while still caring for others’ feelings; 
Shift from a “telling” management style to true empowerment; and 
Show their sense of urgency by raising concerns early rather than escalating issues at the last minute.
Besides raising their profiles and contributions internationally, such efforts will grow agility, collaboration and performance in their teams and companies.
Expatriations are a chance for Thai leaders to show and grow their talents. Their employers must first assess their readiness for international assignments, the speakers concurred. They provided the example of a company looking at leader’s past successes and failures to check potential derailers such as the inability to align, connect, inspire and build an effective team.
It can also be helpful, before an expatriation, to invite Thai leaders to work intensively on an international project and then present their conclusions to top management, or to involve them in transversal projects, with project team members from different countries. 
One enterprise takes another approach and offers short-term missions abroad first – so that leaders realise that working abroad can be pleasant and fulfilling – then longer missions, and finally an expatriation.
Speakers agreed that it was safer to avoid a first expatriation where influence and communication would be paramount to success. An individual-contributor role may be easier than a management role.
Panellists acknowledged the importance of expatriating Thai leaders early in their career – before they have to spend much time taking care of their family – but not too early because they must have sufficient experience and maturity to contribute and succeed.
Speakers also advised that to prepare Thai leaders for regional or global leadership roles, their managers should
Give them frequent and straightforward feedback for improvement; 
Continuously challenge their curiosity and long-term thinking;
Invite them to join think-tanks or strategic project teams; 
Put them in challenging situations so they build up a “peak state” that helps them perform at their best, and gain confidence from it; 
Help them gain exposure and develop a worldwide network.
Then Thai leaders will have a great chance to contribute more of their unique strengths to regional and global leadership teams, and help Thailand stay ahead of its rapidly growing neighbours.

Jean-Francois Cousin, the author, can be contacted via www.greatness.coach.