Images of the United States Abroad

All of our bloggers are now abroad and already taking their classes in their respective institutions. They are discovering the challenges of balancing a demanding schedule with the opportunity to discover a new culture. It can be frustrating sometimes -- so much to see, but so little time.

The bloggers are abroad during a critical period in American history. The world seems genuinely excited about President Obama. Several of the bloggers have commented on the inauguration and the positive thoughts they are hearing about the new administration. Whenever you are abroad, you become -- whether you want that or not -- the representative of your country. It is a source of pride, but also a responsibility. In this "flat world," non-Americans come to know the United States through you.

Globalization 3.0

All bloggers have set up their pages and already posted at least one entry. We're off to a great start! We have an exciting group of students participating in this project. They will be blogging from a wide variety of cultures and settings -- China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Scotland, Senegal, and Spain. There is enough variety here to really be able to assess different conceptions of leadership and the impact of globalization on their societies. How do leaders lead in a cross-cultural environment?

In LEAD 203, we began the semester by reading Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat. In the first chapter, he asks a key question: "Where do I as an individual fit into the global competition and opportunities of the day, and how can I, on my own, collaborate with others globally?" [p. 11] The bloggers are about to develop and test a possible answer to this question through their experiences abroad. Some of them are now in an environment that brings the world together in one place. Blakely, for instance, mentioned already making friends from Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Britain, Australia, Korea, and France. Melissa is looking forward to having Thai food in Dublin. In a multinational environment, how do we forge opportunities for collaboration?

I'm already beginning to see the dynamic of a cross-cultural experience through their first postings. Words such as "anxious" and "nervous" have already been used. In getting ready for her experience in China, Jen makes reference to surviving the "first horrible panic attack stage." However, once they arrive in the new environment, they begin to make friends and meet their host families. A whole new world opens up; and that's when they begin to see similarities and differences between what is "familiar" and what is "foreign." They also realize that now they are the "international students." As Katy said: " it's definitely unnerving to be the 'international student.' I feel like everyone is always laughing at me." However, the bloggers' attitude seem positive and ready to take on everything that will come their way. Anna spoke of "bliss" when describing what awaits her in Spain.

Globalization accelerates this process of integration that generates both points of convergence and new sources of contradictions. Laura had to deal with lack of hot water, while at the same time having access to wireless internet. If you had to choose between hot water and Internet, which one would you choose? Stephanie bought a phone from eBay that will be shipped from China to the United States so that she can take it with her to use it in China. Does geography matter in the 21st century? Grace did her first blogging while waiting to board her flight to Costa Rica. That would have been science fiction when I was an undergraduate student only two decades ago. Miranda goes to Senegal to finish her French minor -- that in itself is a great case study of the effects of Friedman's Globalization 1.0 (the impact of French colonization in West Africa).

If the operating metaphor in our study of Leadership under Globalization is an unpredictable whitewater-rafting experience (without a guide), I think our nine bloggers will take us through an exciting adventure this semester. We will be "watching" them as they steer the raft and avoid the rocks. Where are the rocks???

Preparing to Study Abroad

Several of our leadership students have spent the fall semester getting ready to study abroad. This is an exciting (and yet challenging) experience. They select their classes and finalize the required paperwork. By the end of the semester, it hits them -- "I'm going abroad for a whole semester!" The excitement then turns to fear. These are all normal stages of getting ready to study abroad. The fear will quickly change back to excitement once they arrive at their host university and begin meeting new people. Exploring a new environment and learning more about a new culture can truly change one's life.

The McDonough Bloggers Program at Marietta College is designed to help students enhance their cross-cultural skills -- a key issue in leadership development. As the students blog, they receive comments and reactions from the students who are taking LEAD 203 (Global Leadership) back in Marietta, Ohio. The learning goes both ways. Bloggers reflect on their experiences, while readers compare what they are learning from books with what they are reading from the bloggers.

We will have a great time learning from one another! Thank you bloggers for your willingness to participate in this progran!