Global teams can’t collaborate if they can’t communicate. Leaders can’t manage if they can’t understand what employees in other countries are telling them.

Language strategy is vital for global talent management. Companies can cultivate language skills by incorporating English training into their talent-development programs. Giving employees a shared language enables everyone in the organization to grow and prosper — and, makes it easier to develop junior talent instead of relying on external lateral hires

Robert Steven Kaplan, author of What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential, explains.