Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)
Dr. Doan Van Tinh, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Human Resource Management, NAPA
Along with the process of globalization and international integration, Viet Nam has actively engaged in numerous bilateral and multilateral institutions and established cooperative relationships with most countries worldwide. This necessitates the urgent enhancement of leadership and management capabilities to work effectively in an international environment. This article presents an approach to leadership and management capabilities, identifies the necessary competencies, and proposes several solutions to enhance these capabilities to meet the current requirements of working in an international environment.
Approach to Leadership and Management Capabilities in an International Environment
The leadership and management team are always crucial factors that play a decisive role in the development of organizations, leading to sustainable and effective organizational development. The essence of leadership and management capabilities is the overall crystallization of their physical, intellectual, and moral qualities, reflected through their practical implementation of leadership and management functions. Based on the crystallization of these elements and the requirements set forth in performing leadership and management functions, four constitutive elements of leadership and management capabilities can be identified as follows:
Firstly, foundational capabilities. These are the basic requirements regarding physical strength, intellect, and qualities based on the general foundation of the public service or the common requirements of the organization, such as good health, solid political ethics, a basic foundation in political theory, knowledge of state management, administrative skills, self-leadership capabilities, independent working capabilities, teamwork skills, a spirit of serving the nation, loyalty, and national attachment.
Secondly, professional competence. This includes the requirements for knowledge, skills, experience, and professional qualities of public leaders and managers. From a management perspective, this competence is also understood as leadership and directive ability, involving planning, organizing implementation, monitoring, and evaluating professional activities. Typically, these requirements for professional competence are stipulated in sector-specific legal documents and further detailed in the regulatory framework of agencies and organizations.
Thirdly, core competence. This encompasses the requirements for knowledge, skills, experience, and core values essential for fulfilling leadership roles and functions, such as the ability to conceptualize and articulate missions, visions, and core values; the ability to shape institutions and culture; strategic planning and management capability; the ability to influence, assemble, and develop teams; connectivity capability, fostering collaboration and sustainable development.
Fourthly, context-sensitive leadership and management competence. This includes the requirements for knowledge, skills, experience, and qualities for public leaders and managers to help them accomplish assigned tasks in specific contexts, such as working in international environments, working in digital environments.
The necessity to enhance leadership and management capabilities to meet the requirements of working in international environments
Firstly, stemming from Viet Nam’s comprehensive and extensive international integration policy.
International integration is a major policy of the Party, identified as a crucial political task of the entire political system and government, enjoying the consensus and support of the people. This policy has been affirmed through multiple National Party Congresses, particularly the 12th National Congress, which set forth the policy “Ensuring international integration is the cause of the entire people and political system” (1); the 13th National Party Congress continued to emphasize: “Consistently implementing innovative and effective foreign affairs activities, actively and positively participate in comprehensive and extensive international integration” (2). To fulfill this mission, the key factor is to develop a team of public leaders and managers with sufficient capability to work in international environments.
The practice has proven this to be a profoundly correct policy of the Party, contributing significantly to internationally enhancing the prestige and position of the Party and the State. Currently, Viet Nam has established and developed relations at various levels with nearly 200 countries across all continents worldwide; actively participates in numerous regional and international organizations and forums (ASEAN, ASEM, APEC, WTO,…); and engages in many new-generation free trade agreements (PCA, EVFTA, CPTPP, RCEP,…).
Secondly, the international work environment with many distinctive characteristics, imposing new requirements on leadership and management capabilities.
The international work environment differs significantly from domestic environments, manifested through the following five characteristics: 1) A multicultural and multi-interest workplace, where multiple entities from diverse cultural backgrounds interact with different languages, religions, beliefs, customs, cultural identities, and varying interests; 2) Activities and relationships in the international work environment may simultaneously be subject to the laws of host countries, international laws, and conventions, including bilateral and multilateral agreements of which Viet Nam is a member; 3) It is an interactive environment closely intertwined with the digital transformation trend, involving methods of working within digital environments; 4) The international environment is linked to diverse developments in global political, economic, and social life, including issues of non-traditional security and political matters; 5) Working in the international environment is greatly influenced by global ideologies, cultures, and the darker sides of the market economy, posing risks of self-evolution and self-transformation…
Thirdly, stemming from practical experiences and the goal of enhancing leadership and management capabilities to meet the demands of working in international environments.
In recent years, leadership and management capabilities in the public sector have been continually enhanced, increasingly meeting practical requirements. The Party of Viet Nam has acknowledged: “The cadre team is large in number but not strong,” “lacking capable leaders and managers,” and “the capabilities of the cadre team are uneven, with limitations and weaknesses still present” (3). One of the areas identified as “not strong” and “uneven” is the capability to work in international environments among the leadership team. The reality shows that many leaders and managers lack a thorough understanding of international laws and conventions; they are not proactive in grasping international political, economic, and social developments; their language proficiency and ability to work in digital and multicultural environments are also limited. The Party of Viet Nam has recognized that “There are many limitations in foreign language proficiency, communication skills, and the ability to work in international environments” (4). Moreover, within the diverse and complex international work environment, fraught with traps and temptations, a portion of leaders and managers show signs of faded ideals, weakened willpower, and ideological and moral decline, with indications of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”.
Identifying the Necessary Capabilities for Working in an International Environment of the Leadership and Management Team
Firstly, qualities, ethics, and work style.
The leadership and management team must possess strong political qualities and ethics, absolute trust in the Party’s leadership, a deep love for the country with the nation’s interests above all else, a proud spirit while preserving and promoting the fine cultural traditions of the nation. They should have aspirations for the country’s prosperous development, happiness, and prosperity, enhancing the nation’s position, prestige, and strength. Alongside the characteristics of the international working environment, the leadership and management team needs to have a proactive, innovative, transparent, responsible spirit, and high organizational discipline. They should demonstrate professional conduct, sharp decisiveness, and respect for laws, international conventions, and universal values worldwide. Continuously improving oneself to enhance adaptability to the international working environment, one should actively embrace positive changes and be ready to abandon outdated, inappropriate practices that do not align with common values and standards.
Secondly, knowledge of the international working environment.
Fundamental and specialized knowledge is indispensable for the leadership and management team. Depending on the requirements of each task, organizations select and deploy personnel with appropriate expertise to engage with international partners. Alongside fundamental and specialized knowledge, the leadership and management team working in the international environment needs comprehensive knowledge, especially mastering the following: 1) The Party’s principles and guidelines, the State’s policies and laws in international integration; the diplomatic traditions and culture of the nation; bilateral and multilateral frameworks of which Viet Nam is a member; Viet Nam’s relations with organizations, countries, regions globally, especially diplomatic relations with major countries, strategic and comprehensive strategic partners; 2) Profound understanding of international laws, norms, and the laws of host countries, international organizations to advise the Party, State in formulating and implementing foreign policies, ensuring the highest national interests based on fundamental principles of international law, equality, cooperation, mutual benefit; 3) Understanding of international political life, relations among countries worldwide; trends in political, economic, and social life worldwide; cultures, customs, practices of countries worldwide; 4) Knowledge of science and technology and understanding of the development trends of the scientific and technological revolution, technology applications, methods of interaction and work in digital environments; 5) Scientific knowledge, leadership theories, and trends in leadership and management in the international environment. Leaders and managers must continuously enhance scientific knowledge and delve into theories of leadership and ideologies of countries worldwide. Based on this foundation, respecting differences, seeking similarities, and promoting cooperation for mutual development.
Thirdly, skills in the international working environment.
To excel in the international working environment, the leadership and management team must develop and hone the following skills:
Firstly, critical thinking, analysis, and forecasting skills: Leadership mindset plays a crucial role in directing the content they create and actions they take, reflecting their ideological stature in identifying, analyzing, and forecasting related issues. Working in the international environment demands that the leadership and management team possess global thinking, broad vision, and deep insight into global political, economic, and social issues; they must analyze domestic and international contexts, forecast trends, and anticipate the impacts of the environment on the sectors/organizations they oversee.
Secondly, digital workplace skills: The modern international environment is closely linked to the digital environment, characterized by features unrestricted by space and time; interaction and work methods shift from direct to indirect; rapid, continuous movement of information and data; fast decision-making pace and task handling; many tasks are streamlined and automated to eliminate intermediaries.
Thirdly, skills in working in a multicultural environment: In the international setting, leaders and managers can interact and work with many entities from countries with diverse cultural backgrounds, political systems, languages, and customs upon arrival in the host country. Therefore, they must understand the historical traditions, culture of the host country, and need to study and understand the culture of relevant entities to learn from the good, communicate, and behave properly.
Fourthly, skills in connecting and mobilizing resources to fulfill missions, responsibilities, and tasks: In many situations in the international work environment, leadership and management entities must fulfill missions and tasks under conditions of limited resources and constantly changing environments. Therefore, they need the capacity to adapt to change and skills in connecting, seeking consensus, and promoting cooperation to mobilize comprehensive resources to achieve set goals. To achieve this, the leadership and management team needs skills in establishing, maintaining, and developing relationships in the international environment; communication and teamwork skills; negotiation skills and bargaining with different entities.
Fifthly, language skills: Language is a fundamental tool for communication and work in the international environment. Good language proficiency helps leaders and managers build a professional image, create good impressions, and enhance confidence, proactivity, and competence in communication, thereby improving work efficiency. Meanwhile, limitations in language proficiency make some leaders and managers feel insecure and passive in communicating and handling tasks in the international environment.
Solution to enhance leadership and management capabilities to meet the requirements of working in the international environment
Firstly, enhancing deep understanding and thorough implementation of the Party’s viewpoints and policies on international integration and the development of leadership and management teams. Therefore, Party committees, Party organizations, and leaders of organizations must increase their responsibilities and synchronize measures to create an environment for building and developing leadership and management teams with sufficient capabilities, commensurate with their tasks, to meet the requirements of working in the international environment. Party committees and governments at all levels must identify this as a top political task, a crucial work that needs to be carried out regularly, systematically, and methodologically. A deep understanding of the necessity to enhance capabilities for leadership and management teams to meet the requirements of working in the international environment is the basis for directing work, planning, and organizing the implementation of specific solutions.
Secondly, establishing and standardizing the competency framework for each leadership and management position. The competency framework for these positions needs to meet several basic requirements: 1) Clearly defining the structure of leadership and management competencies in general, especially in the international work environment; 2) Accurately defining the names and specific definitions of each competency; 3) Determining the weights and standardizing the measurement scales for each competency; 4) Requiring competencies and the level of compliance with competency requirements that are suitable for the actual quality of the leadership and management team; the characteristics of the agency or organization, while also placing them in the context of new requirements and future development. During the process of developing the competency framework, agencies and organizations also need to pay attention to the differences in job nature and the level of competency requirements for working in the international environment among different levels of leadership and management.
Thirdly, enhancing the effectiveness of training for leadership and management teams working in the international environment. Starting from the position and role of leadership and management teams and the characteristics of the international environment, developing training programs for these teams is highly essential. To ensure the effectiveness of this operation, it is necessary to implement several specific measures:
(1) Developing training programs and materials for leadership and management teams working in the international environment based on job descriptions and competency frameworks for leadership and management positions. The training content must be modern, updated, focusing on enhancing language skills, core leadership competencies, and leadership capabilities in context. Continuously improving the quality of instructors and innovate training methods for leadership and management teams working in the international environment.
(2) Leveraging the role of training centers for leadership and management officials, particularly the roles of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy and the National Academy of Public Administration in consulting and developing training programs and materials, and organizing training activities for leadership and management teams with sufficient capabilities to work in the international environment.
(3) Enhancing the responsibility of organizational leaders in identifying needs; appointing leadership and management officials to participate in training to enhance capabilities for working in the international environment; integrating training with planning, arrangement, and use of personnel; establishing mechanisms to encourage officials to participate in relevant training programs. Additionally, leaders of Party committees and governments at all levels need to focus on appointing public officials to participate in international cooperation tasks, creating opportunities for these teams to develop skills, professional qualifications, and language proficiency, and accumulate experience in working in the international environment.
(4) Enhancing international cooperation to create a favorable environment for leadership and management teams to have opportunities for exchanges, learning, and working in the international environment, such as organizing international workshops, conferences, and seminars; arranging visits and learning experiences abroad or inviting foreign experts for training, specialized talks, and sharing experiences.
(5) Cultivating a culture of self-improvement within the public organization. Developing a culture of self-learning within the organization should be based on the following pillars: (a) Continuous self-improvement: Leadership and management teams, as well as each individual, must constantly engage in self-learning and skill enhancement both within and outside of work; (b) Institutional improvement: Enhancing policies, improving the environment, and allocating resources effectively so that each individual has favorable conditions to learn anytime and anywhere; (c) Knowledge-sharing culture: Fostering a culture of sharing knowledge within the organization based on a transparent information system that ensures democracy, promotes critical thinking, and utilizes intellectual resources; (d) Valuing talented individuals: Building an environment that values capable individuals, fostering a democratic, creative, non-restrictive, and non-competitive working environment; be ready and open to embrace new ideas. In constructing a culture of self-improvement within the public organization, the leadership and management teams play a crucial role. Therefore, these teams must regularly self-educate, enhance knowledge, refine skills, and consolidate practical experiences to enhance overall capabilities. The process of self-improvement is a personal journey that requires these teams to listen to their inner voices, analyze and assess their own capabilities relative to job requirements and the work environment, and develop suitable plans and methods for continuous improvement to meet the demands of working in the international environment.
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Notes:
(1) Communist Party of Viet Nam, Documents of the 12th National Party Congress, H.2016, p.154.
(4) Communist Party of Vietnam, Documents of the Seventh Conference of the Central Executive Committee (term XII), Documents circulated internally, H.2018, p.58.
(2) Communist Party of Viet Nam, Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, National Political Publishing House, H.2021, p.69.
(3) Central Committee of Communist Party of Viet Nam, Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated May 19, 2018, focusing on building a contingent of officials at all levels, especially strategic, qualified, capable, and prestigious ones on missions.
(4) Communist Party of Viet Nam, Documents of the Seventh Plenary Session of the Central Committee of CPV (term XII), Documents circulated internally, H.2018, p.58.
