Leading Across Different Cultures

"The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”

said Woodrow Wilson.

Different cultures mean different ways of thinking and doing. Riding The Waves of Culture by Charles Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars focuses on cross-cultural leadership and is a standard guide to leading effectively in an international business context.

In the following video, we focus on the leadership style we need to adapt given the fact that each culture perceives Leadership differently. What makes a successful global leader?

According to the University of Virginia, some of the characteristics of a global leader include an overseas experience, humility, lifelong curiosity, being well-spoken, and presence. The main idea is to transcend your own cultural perspective and adapt it to different contexts. You will also need to understand your beliefs and how they can differ with others.

An interesting example is Mcdonald's cross-cultural marketing. If you've had the opportunity to travel and eat in different Mcdonalds, you'll notice the various meals that are adapted or based on the local palate.

For example, in Singapore, there's the McSpicy meal. In the Middle East, you have the McArabia, Bulgogi Burgers in South Korea or Burger Balado in Indonesia. Different cultures call for different approaches.

Acknowledging and respecting the cultural identities of others sounds simple in theory but do you have what it takes to be a global business leader? Watch the video to learn more!

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