by Nashay Naeve, President of the Engineered Plastic Components Business Unit at Tsubaki-Nakashima
It’s 10:00 p.m. The house is quiet, my kids are asleep, and I’m jumping into a video call with my colleagues in Asia. Just twelve hours earlier, I was deep in joint strategy sessions with my teams in the US and Europe. It’s a long day by any measure—but it’s also the reality of leading global teams. Next time, we’ll reverse the schedule so I can start fresh in the morning while my colleagues in Asia take the late shift. That rotation may sound small, but it sends a powerful signal of fairness and respect.
Global leadership requires more than operational expertise. It demands empathy, cultural awareness, and a willingness to adapt. Over the course of my career—from building go-to-market strategy in China during a period of rapid industrial growth, to leading large international portfolios in electronics, to now managing cross-continental teams in manufacturing—I’ve learned that success comes from balancing performance with people.
Here are a few lessons that stand out.
Rotate Meeting Times
Global teams don’t operate on one clock. If meetings are always scheduled for one region’s convenience, employees is the other time zone end up making endless personal sacrifices. While not always possible, by rotating call times—sometimes late nights for me, sometimes early mornings—I ensure the inconvenience is shared.
I’ve seen the difference this makes: after shifting a recurring meeting from my morning to Asia’s morning, engagement noticeably improved. The team came to the call more energized, and their input was sharper. That small adjustment not only showed respect for their time but also elevated the quality of our collaboration.
Protect Personal Boundaries.
In global roles, the workday can easily stretch into a 24-hour cycle. Early in my career, I made the mistake of being “always on,” answering emails at all hours. I’ve since learned that setting boundaries isn’t a weakness—it’s a necessity. Encouraging teams to unplug when needed leads to more energy, creativity, and long-term sustainability.
Lead Inclusively.
When your team spans continents, diversity isn’t theoretical—it’s built into every project. I’ve seen firsthand how an operator in Europe, an engineer in Asia, and a manager in the US can each approach the same challenge differently. Inclusive leadership means listening to all of those voices, combining perspectives, and creating solutions that no single viewpoint could have achieved alone.
Adapt Global Strategy to Local Needs.
A global vision is important, but execution always happens locally. My time in China underscored this: strategies succeed only when they’re tailored to local markets while still staying aligned to the overall business. For small businesses with global ambitions, this is a valuable lesson—think big, but act locally.
Final Thought.
Global leadership isn’t about being everywhere at once—it’s about creating the conditions for people everywhere to thrive. By rotating meeting times, respecting personal boundaries, leading inclusively, and adapting strategy to local needs, leaders can build teams that are both high-performing and sustainable.
For entrepreneurs, graduates, and professionals stepping into international roles, my advice is simple: start practicing global leadership habits now. Whether it’s learning to flex across time zones, appreciating cultural nuances, or modeling balance between work and life, these small practices build the foundation for leadership that teams will respect—and follow—across continents.
Nashay Naeve, President of the Engineered Plastic Components Business Unit at Tsubaki-Nakashima, is a global business leader and general manager in the industrial sector, with experience spanning automotive, electronics, heavy machinery, and general industrial markets. Over the course of her career, she’s led international teams, lived and worked abroad, and driven growth in complex, technical businesses.