Online learning is widely popular because it offers high-quality content in a flexible, affordable way. But it’s not only the structure and content of online courses that make them valuable investments. The experience of taking an online course is uniquely beneficial because it facilitates interaction with a diverse community of learners. At HBS Online, for example, learners engage with peers from more than 150 different countries.
In removing the geographic limitations of traditional, in-person education and offering the unique opportunity to interact with a global community, online education supports the development of skills necessary for leadership in the global economy.
Here are three ways the online learning experience promotes global leadership development.
Developing Global Leadership Skills Through Online Learning
1. It Offers Global Networking Opportunities
Networking is an essential skill in any industry, allowing professionals to identify business or career opportunities, access new information and ideas, and anticipate developments in their industry. For professionals working on a global scale, it's crucial that their network is also global and reflects a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.
Because online courses aren't limited by geography, the diversity of these learning communities is often high compared to on-campus programs, where international student enrollment is less than five percent of total enrollment in the U.S.
While online courses are atypical networking settings, the diversity of the learning community—when combined with interactive elements like discussion board posts, group assignments, and peer-to-peer messaging—offers the opportunity to make genuine connections with professionals around the world interested in similar topics.
Relationship-building can continue outside the course experience as well. Online learner communities provide a space for networking after a course has concluded. Connections built in these communities can later support business decision-making or career advancement and position individuals to emerge as leaders within their organizations or broader global industry.
Related: 6 Networking Tips for Online Learners
2. It Broadens Perspectives
The diversity and interactivity of online communities also allow learners to broaden their personal and professional perspectives. The same interactive elements that promote the development of networking relationships also expose learners to the rich variety of viewpoints naturally occurring when you have individuals from vastly different geographic, educational, socio-economic, and industry contexts.
While differences in perspective might be uncomfortable at first, they’re highly valuable. They introduce individuals to new ideas and other ways of thinking about problems. The World Economic Forum argues that broadening perspectives is beneficial for business leaders because it can “activate networks in our brains that are associated with creative thinking and exploration.” The broad perspective developed through exposure to diverse contexts is important for practicing inclusive leadership, making informed business decisions, and identifying new opportunities that allow individuals to grow into leadership positions.
Related: Should You Take an Online Class? 9 Things to Consider
3. It Facilitates the Development of Cultural Competence
A third key benefit of online courses is the development of cultural competence, or the ability to “communicate and interact with people across cultures.” This includes an understanding of, and respect for, cultural differences and subsequent differences in perspective, and the skills to navigate language and cultural barriers to communication and collaboration.
Cultural competence has always been an important skill for professionals working on a global scale. Yet, it’s particularly relevant as workforce globalization increases rapidly in the shift to remote work facilitated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Professionals are more likely than ever to work virtually with team members worldwide and will be required to learn how to communicate and collaborate across cultures effectively.
Research shows that cultural competence can be developed through interaction with diverse communities. In online learning, interactive course elements force learners into scenarios where they have to communicate and collaborate with peers from varying contexts, creating an environment where cultural competence is developed naturally through exposure and subsequent problem-solving and relationship-building. Cultural competence ultimately supports global leadership development by strengthening individual self-awareness, curiosity, empathy, and communication skills.
A New Perspective on Online Education
One of the misconceptions about online learning is that it doesn't offer the same quality of experience as in-person education. This argument is grounded in a deficit approach, which ignores the benefits of online education beyond the obvious flexibility and affordability. Thinking beyond this approach is a reminder that the diversity and interactivity of online courses like those offered by HBS Online provide a valuable experience, particularly as globalization and digital transformation continue to accelerate.
Organizational demand for leaders with the skills to make connections, identify opportunities, and work across cultures will continue to rise. Diverse and interactive online education is uniquely positioned to play a key role in preparing the global workforce to meet this need.
Are you interested in developing your global leadership skills? Explore our online courses and take the next step in your career.
