Geostrategic Thinking is Now Essential for Business—Especially Global Mobility

Put simply, organizations can no longer afford to treat geopolitical risk as a side note to strategy. From trade disputes and data localization laws to full-scale armed conflicts and sweeping tariffs, the external environment is growing more complex and unpredictable. This complexity demands geostrategic thinking, or integrating geopolitical analysis directly into business strategy and decision-making.

The recent article in Management Today, “Why geostrategic thinking is now a business imperative,” captures the essence of this shift. It argues that the traditional view—where geopolitics sits on the periphery of corporate planning—is now dangerously outdated. Instead, geopolitics must be treated as a central pillar of strategic thinking. This is particularly true for global mobility teams, whose work in relocating talent and managing international assignments is uniquely sensitive to cross-border volatility.

From Risk Awareness to Strategy

Historically, geopolitical concerns were treated reactively. A sudden trade embargo, for instance, might have triggered a hasty shift in supply chain logistics. But this approach is no longer tenable. Today’s environment requires companies to proactively integrate geopolitical foresight into everything from supply chain design and pricing strategy to operations, compliance, and—crucially—talent mobility.

Take the example of the recent tariffs imposed by the U.S. government. These measures were not isolated events, but part of a broader shift toward economic nationalism and decoupling from strategic rivals. For companies, this doesn’t just mean adjusting where goods are produced; it may also require reconfiguring where key personnel are located, how talent is deployed, and how assignments are structured and supported. 

Global Mobility: The Crossroads of Strategy and Risk

For global mobility leaders, geostrategic thinking is especially relevant. Talent mobility is not just a tactical HR function. Instead, it needs to be treated as a strategic enabler. For example, we recently discussed “The Strategic Potency of Effective Mobility”. Organizations rely on relocating talent to establish or expand operations in emerging markets, transfer institutional knowledge, and support critical growth initiatives.

But these efforts now take place in a world of rising travel restrictions, shifting visa regimes, economic sanctions, and regional instability. The war in Ukraine, tensions in the South China Sea, political unrest in the Sahel, and tightening data sovereignty laws all raise new and complicated questions. It raises questions for mobility like:

Where can talent be moved safely and legally? How are costs and compliance risks impacted by geopolitical changes? Can critical skills be deployed in time-sensitive situations amid tightening borders or new sanctions?

The important thing to pay attention to is that these are no longer edge cases. These are now central considerations that global mobility must anticipate and plan for.

Geopolitical Intelligence in Mobility Strategy

Companies are responding to this challenge by embedding geopolitical intelligence into their mobility and talent programs. This means:

• Incorporating political risk assessments into assignment planning and destination selection. 
• Engaging in scenario planning that explores how political or regulatory shifts could affect key markets.
• Aligning talent strategy with broader business continuity plans, ensuring that talent can be deployed flexibly in the face of crises or policy changes.
• Investing in agile processes and technologies that allow for quick adjustments in assignment structure, support services, or relocation timelines.

These strategies can be accomplished through a collaboration with internal and external partners. Players could include relocation management companies, risk assessment partners like International SOS, Mercer, AIRINC, and your company's destination partners around the world. This kind of geostrategic thinking helps manage risks, but it's also about competitive advantage and duty of care. Companies that can confidently relocate and support talent where others can’t will gain access to new markets, reinforce their global leadership, and better navigate the churn.

The Path Forward

Geostrategic thinking is about operationalizing insight. Global mobility leaders must now work hand-in-hand with strategy, legal, finance, and risk functions to continuously monitor global developments and translate them into action.

A practical step forward is to establish regularly scheduled cross-functional meetings that include internal stakeholders (corporate strategy, compliance, legal), as well as external partners (your RMC, immigration counsel, tax provider). These collaborative sessions can serve as real-time forums to:

• Share geopolitical intelligence and regulatory updates
• Identify emerging trends that could impact talent movement or relocation services
• Align on contingency planning and risk mitigation strategies
• Discuss upcoming policy shifts or operational pressures

If done right, all of this will help keep mobility teams stable, not caught off guard by sudden disruptions. It enables mobility to stay ahead of emerging challenges, reduce costs, and minimize delays or compliance risks that could otherwise derail business objectives.

Geopolitical disruption isn’t going away, no matter how much we want it to. How your company responds to challenges that disrupt traditional approaches to business and talent deployment will define your competitiveness. Those weave geopolitical intelligence into every layer of business will be far better positioned to navigate the complexities ahead. This isn’t just a new way of thinking. It’s the new baseline for enabling business success in a volatile world.