GROWING AROUND THE WORLD

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES,MANAGERS OF ESTABLISHED companies have faced one of the biggest opportunities in the history of business: The chance to dramatically grow revenues by expanding globally.

It’s a set of opportunities that comes with its own set of challenges. Different governments play by dramatically different rules—as the CEO of Amway learned when China outlawed direct sales, the marketing model his firm had been using for decades. Managing a global workforce adds complexity—which is why one CEO describes how he abandoned traditional notions of “expatriates” and “locals” and instead created an executive corps that’s evolved beyond having a “home” market. Some of the challenges are cultural: In a memorable scene, the CEO of Heinz describes how his Chinese hosts liked to play “Hail to the Chief” when he entered the room at a banquet—a compliment that sent his wife into unstoppable spasms of laughter.

These leaders make their views on globalization clear: Despite risk and inconvenience, language barriers and jet lag, the hard work of breaking into new markets is well worth the toil.