The power of bilingual business leaders

We’ve entered a delicate era in global political terms, with the last few years turning many established policies on their heads. As political agendas change, businesses must race to make the most of their new reality, responding to changes in corporate taxation and preparing for the economic impact that these new political situations are creating. 

Showcasing their skills 

One way for companies to weather the stormy political waters is to be as flexible as possible in their approach. This could mean anything from down or up-sizing their operations to outsourcing parts of the business to other countries. It could also mean finding new buyers and/or suppliers overseas. 

While many companies turn to professional translation agencies to support them with such tasks, bilingual business leaders have a distinct advantage. They can use their linguistic talents to strengthen the position of their companies.

Inspiring others

Bilingual business leaders can also do much to inspire young people. For example, an English newspaper – The Yorkshire Post – recently called on bilingual business leaders to encourage students to learn languages, in an effort to counteract the UK’s sharply declining rate of language learning past non-compulsory age. By doing so, business leaders can use their own language skills and position in order to exert a positive influence over future generations. 

For companies with bilingual staff teams, a bilingual leader also has the ability to reach out to individual staff members in their preferred language. This can help staff to feel engaged and connected with the company, which can in turn drive up productivity. 

Networking

In many industries, companies still rely on their leaders’ networking abilities. “It’s not what you know, but who you know” is certainly the case in many sectors. Those leaders who are able to network in two languages therefore have a distinct advantage over their monolingual competitors. And with the political sands shifting beneath us so regularly of late, sometimes those additional connections can mean the difference between failure and success!

While you’re here, why not check out the Tomedes Text Summarizer? It’s a free-to-use tool that businesses are welcome to use as often as they need.