The world is changing. Business is changing. Our society is changing. And because there is no issue more critical to our company’s long-term competitiveness, health, and well-being than the quality of our education system, the way we teach and nurture our future leaders must change too.

In 1860, when President Lincoln came to power, protectionist pressures were strong. His administration pushed forward broad policies that included assigning a role for government to support the economic, educational, and technological changes taking hold at the time; establishing a transcontinental railroad; and realizing that a period of turmoil, while potentially a barrier to reform, may also present a unique opportunity.

A collection of states became a nation. A climate for Americas to capitalize on innovation and emerging technologies was created. A rising class of entrepreneurs and property owners flourished. The stage was set for America to dominate the 20th century.

Like Lincoln, we, too, must take a multilateral approach, engaging every corner of society. As a father; citizen; and someone who cares deeply about global trade, global prosperity, and global harmony, I believe it’s our mission to help it’s our mission to help prepare people for a world that is coming closer together through trade.

Progress is being made to advance international education in our schools. No fewer than 20 states are involved in programs ranging from student and teacher exchange programs in China to new Multilanguage curricula to international trade literacy to global communication technologies.

But that work has just begun.

As CEO of the nation’s third-largest company and a company engaged in world trade, I look for six specific traits in future employees. Like many other global companies, we seek people who are:

• Trade literate,
• Sensitive to foreign cultures,
• Multilingual,
• Technology savvy,
• Capable of managing complexity, and
• Ethical

These six traits have significant bearing on the kinds of education required to produce a workforce equipped to succeed in the global economy. As a participant on a number of boards and committees and in multiple agencies - from the Business Roundtable to the President’s Export Council, I talk to several fellow business and government leaders. We’re all very aligned in our thinking.

Already on the wavelengths is Melodie O’Hanlon, an English teacher at Berkeley Springs High School in West Virginia. She said, “Understanding the true economic, social, and political forces at work in the world is essential in solving problems on a local and global level.” That’s the heart of the first trait - being trade literate or understanding the basics of the 21st-century global trade and economics.

One could argue that “globalization” has earned a menacing characterization within many minds because we haven’t done a good job promoting trade literacy in this nation. The business community is particularly at fault.

Author Tom Friedman addressed this in a recent column. Tom contends America’s leading businesses and business leaders have been too quiet, while the opponents of globalism have been loud.

That brings me to the second trait - being adaptable and sensitive to foreign cultures. In 1976, I was among the first wave of UPSers to work in our fledging international operations. I was dispatched to Germany for an eye-opening experience. Not as cross-culturally astute as we are today, we learned some lessons the hard way.

The buildup of our European business involved the integration of 16 acquired companies. That integration into our organization became the biggest stumbling block to our international expansion.

Our first impulse was to behave more like commandos than teachers, partners, and consultants, with the attitude often being, “You stand over there and watch how we do this, then do it exactly the same way.” Things only improved after we found the right blend of UPS culture, capabilities, and local knowledge. We did this by focusing our coaching on areas where significant improvement was needed and leaving the rest alone.

Sensitivity to foreign cultures is vital at UPS. Part of that adaptability and sensitivity comes with the third trait we look for - foreign language skills. In very short order, the United States will become the third-largest English-speaking country, behind India and China. Foreign language skills are essential to our business and will be even more so in the years ahead.

One universal language key to UPS is technology and technology skills. That’s the fourth trait. Global technology and usage patterns greatly impact our lives and our business. The developing world - while lacking wired resources - has actually leapfrogged the Western world in wireless usage and application.

China, for instance, adds five million new cellular customers every month. China and India are producing millions of bright new engineers, scientists, materials researches, software developers, and other technology professionals.

Technology is the great enabler. Take the 1999 holiday season for example. We received 600,000 service calls - mostly tracking inquiries - at a cost of $2 per call. This year, those same inquiries are being handled over the Internet. By the end of the holiday season, we will have handled more than 12 million online inquiries at about one cent each. Technology delivers greater service for our customers at lower costs.

These kinds of forces, compounded on a global level, require individuals who can manage complexity and uncertainty. This is the fifth trait we look for - the ability to learn how to learn.

One of the greatest attributes of a liberal arts education is preparing people to learn how to learn, meaning that traditional education still has a vital role to play in American society.

Another tradition that has never been more important to America as it engages in a global marketplace is ethical behavior, the sixth trait we look for in our people.

Business integrity and diplomacy have been under the microscope in recent years. And that’s too bad, because the majority of American business leaders, like educators, play an essential and honorable role every day. With widespread negative perceptions of our country persisting abroad, the business community can help revamp this tarnished image. In fact, I believe we’ve entered an era where business diplomacy trumps political diplomacy.

The world is so integrated economically that the vast majority of influence, the greatest force impacting the greatest number of lives, is business. Our actions and our beliefs not only shape global perceptions of our companies, but they form impressions about our nation and the ideals for which it stands. It’s a huge responsibility - one we must manage with care and diligence.

An equally awesome responsibility is ensuring that those ethical foundations are grounded in students long before they reach college. Our schools, our families, our communities, and our businesses all have roles to play in this regard.

By promoting international education in our schools that incorporates the six traits I spoke of, you promote America’s business, social, and cultural interests. And perhaps more important, you prepare the next generation for success in this complex, challenging, invigorating, and opportunity-rich world of change.