As the business world is growing more global, recognizing cultural differences and values is an ever-important skill. For Principal Advisor for Strategy and Corporate Affairs at IDB Invest, Alejandro Prada, not only celebrating our differences, but also recognizing what we have in common, is what truly fosters respect and open-mindedness and is the key to developing a global mindset. “Be mindful that there isn’t just one subset of cultural value, so that means being cognizant of differences.

Working in international markets means seeking opportunities outside of familiar markets, and that requires engaging with people from different regions and cultures. For Mikael Baker, senior information and communications technology (ICT) advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), developing a global mindset is key to working effectively in these markets. “In international development, like many fields, it’s important to be able to effectively work with people from different cultures.

During a 22-year journalism career, Scott Nelson, MBA ’98, was able to help document some of this century’s most important stories. But in recent years, Nelson has focused on another major story—his own.

For Amazon Web Services (AWS) global program manager, Vandy Gyandhar, a global mindset is more than traveling around the world or working for an international company. It is about being able to build relationships of understanding and respect no matter where you are in the world. “I've lived in and grew up in multiple countries. I am a global program manager. I work on projects that span across the globe. I am in India right now and I have a call in an hour with team members in Australia, Ireland, the US and Sweden. So I thought I have a global mindset.

Over the years, Laura Benkowski’s entrepreneurial spirit has taken her all over the world, even to the site of a closed gem mine in Arizona. “The gem mine was shut down in 2012 and contains a turquoise known as Sleeping Beauty turquoise that is very rare and highly sought,” says Benkowski ’11, MBA ’14.

Intercultural empathy is the ability to perceive the world as it is perceived by a culture different from your own. For Ansa Edim, MBA '16, vice president and staff board chair at Change.org, a global mindset is just that. “A global mindset means having an understanding of a shared narrative around the world so that we have an understanding of the struggles of other people and empathy. At Change.org, we're dealing with people who don't typically have a voice and we are giving them space to have that voice. So that requires some empathy to their plight,” Edim says.

Perception is how we view, understand, and interpret the things around us. For international trade specialist, Ja’Nel Edens, a global mindset starts with changing your perception and thinking of yourself not just as a citizen of your nation, but as a global citizen. She states, “We must recognize that we are all interconnected in some way. We share similarities with other cultures outside of our own country and we are part of one big world, even though we are separated by waters.”