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It is well established that people do their best work when they have agency over what they do and how they do it. Yet, by design, not by intent, Global Capability Centers (GCCs) often operate with less agency than teams closer to headquarters.
Distance from power centers, limited exposure to customers, and asymmetric context mean that agency does not naturally accrue to GCC leaders and teams. Left unattended, this structural reality becomes self-reinforcing: lower ambition leads to lower expectations, which in turn leads to diminished influence.
In 2026, leaders in Global Capability Centers (GCCs) cannot wait for agency to be granted. They must consciously earn it, for themselves and for their teams.
This is not an easy journey. It requires ambition, risk-taking, mastery of one’s craft, and the ability to influence without formal authority.
Before getting to the “how,” it is worth grounding ourselves in a few first principles of how GCCs really work.
These realities are not excuses. They are constraints. And constraints demand intentional design.
1) Master your craft
Nothing substitutes for excellence. Influence without competence is short-lived. Be among the best in what you are hired to do, engineering, product management, finance, HR, procurement, underwriting, or any other function.
Understand what “best-in-class” truly looks like in your discipline and pursue it with intent, discipline, and pride.
2) Show me the money
Deeply understand how your company makes money. In many businesses, this is far from obvious. Some firms make money on financing rather than products; insurance companies generate profits from investing cash flows rather than premiums.
When you understand the economic engine of the company, your priorities sharpen and your conversations become materially more relevant.
3) Aim higher than expected
Global teams are often given lower ambition targets, sometimes explicitly, often implicitly. Over time, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you want agency, aim materially higher than the expectations set for you. Not marginally higher, significantly higher.
4) Meet real customers
Make customer exposure non-negotiable. If you serve consumers, visit retail stores, bank branches, or field locations during every trip. Read customer surveys deeply.
When you are building for people you do not encounter in your daily life, empathy and insight require intentional effort.
5) Expand your influence deliberately
Build relationships with at least a dozen leaders outside your direct reporting line. Ask yourself two questions:
These leaders are in rooms where you are not. Knowing them, and being known by them, matters.
6) Take intelligent risks
Career growth without risk is a myth. The safest path to success often requires privileges not everyone has.
For most professionals, progress comes from taking calculated, micro-risks—especially by picking up difficult, high-visibility challenges that others avoid. Ensure these challenges matter to executive leadership.
7) Lean into AI with conviction
Many leadership teams remain hesitant about fully committing to AI. This is a mistake.
You have far more to gain than to lose. Incorporate AI into your daily workflows, decision-making, and problem-solving, both professionally and personally. In 2026, AI fluency will be a source of disproportionate agency.
8) Lift your team up
Agency that is hoarded is fragile. Agency that is multiplied through teams is durable.
Leaders are ultimately measured not by their individual output, but by the sustained performance and growth of their teams. If you gain agency, your responsibility is to help others gain it too.
Agency in a Global Capability Center (GCC) is rarely granted, and never permanent. It is earned slowly, through credibility, relevance, and trust, and can be lost quickly when ambition fades or execution weakens.
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR RESPONSE
