Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
Diverse global teams are not a future concept that’s growing alongside increasing acceptance of remote work, but a present-day reality: One-third of employees at U.S. multinational companies are based overseas
Teams stretched across continents and time zones help facilitate access to broader talent pools and emerging markets. From Tokyo to Toronto, remote and hybrid work are redefining what’s possible — and reshaping how and where work happens.
Managing a global workforce, however, presents complex challenges: How do you ensure equal access to opportunity? How do you keep people connected when they rarely (or never) meet in person? And how do you preserve organizational culture when it transcends borders? Not to mention practical elements surrounding payroll and equipment.
U.S. multinational enterprises employ 44.3 million people worldwide, with 14 million working outside the United States. These numbers highlight both the scale and complexity of leading across borders — and the urgent need for inclusive, adaptive, and human-centered leadership.
To better understand what it takes to lead thriving global teams today, Allwork.Space spoke with leaders across sectors spanning corporations, nonprofits, and coaching to identify three essential areas where focused action can make the most meaningful impact.
Here are three strategies to help you successfully lead global teams.
1. Provide Equitable Access to Career Progression
As global teams expand, equal access to career advancement must be intentionally structured — not left to chance. Whether an employee is located in a bustling capital or a rural region, development opportunities should feel truly attainable, not just technically available.
This means designing career development opportunities that are accessible across locations, time zones, and work schedules.
In a conversation with Allwork.Space, Elika Dadsetan, CEO and Executive Director of VISIONS, Inc.—a non-profit with four decades of experience supporting global teams—emphasizes that “access” is often mistaken for availability.
“Real barriers — such as time zone misalignment, caregiving demands, and proximity to leadership — still impact visibility and growth,” she said.
VISIONS addresses this through rotating meeting times, asynchronous learning, and peer-informed promotion processes that help mitigate systemic bias.
Recent research supports Dadsetan’s insight. A science-backed study found that even a one-hour increase in time zone difference between employees can lead to an 11% drop in synchronous communication, such as video calls and instant messaging. This reduction doesn’t just slow down teamwork — it can compromise visibility and career momentum for remote employees.
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Over time, constantly adjusting working hours to coordinate with colleagues can also strain work-life balance.
To counter these challenges, leaders are building structures that support transparency and clarity around advancement.
Rick Hammell, Founder and CEO of global management platform Helios, told Allwork.Space: “Organizations must ensure that all employees, regardless of location, are fully informed about available career development resources and the pathways for advancement.”
Pavel Bahu, Global HR Head at Trevolution Group, which spans over 2,000 employees across nine countries, echoes this view. Bahu recommends structured performance reviews and accessible career progression maps to promote fairness and consistency for globally distributed teams.
At JLL, a company managing thousands of employees across internal offices and client sites, Meaghan Elwell, President of the Industrials Division, says the company leverages technology to level the playing field. Their 24/7 learning platform and cross-border mentorship programs are key tools in ensuring each team member has equal access to career growth.
“Employees at every level, in every area of a company, should have the opportunity for growth and development,” Elwell told Allwork.Space.
JLL’s approach aligns with research from Harvard Business Review, which highlights how mentorship programs that span geographies help promote equitable career progression — particularly in distributed organizations.
In today’s global workplace, equitable development is not a perk, it’s a necessity. When companies commit to making growth universally accessible, they’re not only investing in people, they are building a foundation for long-term success.
2. Use Technology to Connect People (Not Replace Them)
While digital tools have transformed how global teams operate, success doesn’t stem from technology alone. It requires leadership that places people and culture at the center.
Artificial intelligence and automation offer new efficiencies, but high-performing teams rely on human connection.
“The key is to treat technology as a bridge, not a replacement for relationships,” Dadsetan explained.
To reinforce how technology can support rather than substitute collaboration, Dadsetan described how VISIONS combines AI with human-centered practices, such as restorative conflict resolution.
In line with this approach, Elwell shared how digital tools, such as real-time translation, are used to enhance communication at JLL. Her message is clear: the goal is not to sideline human interaction but to enable more inclusive conversations.
Workplace technology also needs to be flexible enough to reflect the diversity of a global workforce. A recent report from the employment platform Oyster HR emphasizes that how tools are used matters more than the tools themselves. Marina Farthouat, VP of People at Oyster HR, told Allwork.Space: “It’s not only about which tools you use—it’s about how they work for different people in different contexts.” She encourages giving teams the autonomy to adapt tools to local needs as long as a shared purpose remains intact.
Pavel Bahu reinforces that even the most advanced tools must be grounded in human responsibility. Decisions should be made by people, not delegated entirely to machines. Dadsetan also recommends regularly auditing systems—especially those used in hiring or performance tracking—to identify and eliminate bias.
This concern is far from hypothetical. A 2024 study by the University of Washington found that AI resume screening models showed clear racial and gender bias, favoring European-sounding names 85% of the time. Though the research focused on the U.S., its implications are global and urgent.
Governments are beginning to respond. The European Union has introduced the AI Act—the world’s first comprehensive regulation of artificial intelligence. This legislation enforces transparency and accountability in high-risk applications, including those used in hiring and human resource (HR) processes.
3. Build Your Culture Based on Trust (Not Proximity)
Remote work allows companies to tap into a diverse pool of talent from across various locations, time zones, and backgrounds. Sustaining human connection and a sense of common purpose, however, can be challenging when teams rarely or never meet in person. To counteract this problem, leaders are encouraged to develop and maintain trust, shared responsibility, and accountability within globally dispersed teams.
Adrian Kelly, a leadership coach working with both corporate and athletic distributed teams, told Allwork.Space that leadership anchored in shared values is especially vital for teams that lack face-to-face contact. He recommends using data—such as performance reviews and employee feedback—to uncover blind spots in fairness, belonging, and psychological safety. Leaders, he says, should “make engagement and inclusion measurable.”
Meaghan Elwell suggests that leaders consistently exemplify shared values and adopt a dual approach to workplace culture, integrating top-down alignment across the entire organization with day-to-day actions led by local managers. Elwell also shared how “A strong culture creates a sense of belonging and purpose” that directly influences team performance.
Rick Hammell agrees that feedback is essential. He encourages global leaders to use tools such as pulse surveys and engagement metrics to maintain alignment and accountability across regions. However, as he points out, data alone isn’t enough. “By creating a culture where accountability is shared and celebrated, organizations can ensure that managers remain committed to fostering an engaging and inclusive environment, regardless of their physical proximity to their teams.”
Similarly, Pavel Bahu believes that leadership must go beyond oversight and reporting. He advocates for leaders to take personal responsibility for building inclusive, engaged teams—especially when managing across borders.
The most effective leaders in global teams do not only deliver successful business results—they actively cultivate trust, model empathy, and create space for honest, open dialogue. These people-first practices are not a luxury in distributed work—they are essential. Against this backdrop, Marina Farthouat encourages companies to rethink legacy leadership models in global contexts. She recommends more collaborative approaches and reminds leaders that “accountability isn’t just about measuring outputs. It’s about understanding what helps people bring their best thinking to work.”
The Bottom Line
Managing a global team takes more than coordinating across time zones or adopting the latest project management tools. It requires a deep, sustained commitment to equity and transparency. The most resilient organizations do not consider geographical distance as a drawback—they see it as an opportunity to build stronger, more inclusive teams. By prioritizing fairness and trust, companies do not only support distributed employees—they unlock the full potential of teams that thrive across borders and time zones.
