
Traits, Behaviour, Contingency, Transformation. Those are the existing Leadership Theories. In a globalized world none of these leadership theories seems to be working. Even the cutting edge approach in Leadership which is Transformational Leadership, failed to provide a universal frame as the cultural background has affected the effectiveness of the transformational theory in leadership.
Why is it not working? Well, that’s because of the particularities across continents and the peculiar effects of applying classic leadership styles in some cultures. So when present-day businesses had the need for replicating the performance of leaders, globally, they found that classical approach was not effective.
So what next you may ask? How do we transition from applying classical styles of leadership to a style which is globally acceptable and appreciated by all? The answer to that is Cross Cultural Leadership.
This chapter will make you familiar with Cross-Cultural Leadership and its competences.
“Human beings are drawn close to one another by their Common nature, but habits and customs keep them apart.”–Confucius
Understanding that we have differences is the first step in solving the mystery of Cross Cultural Leadership.
As we get familiar with these differences we can ‘change our own attitude’, be ‘mindful’ in communication with others, successfully get our message across and make business.
Besides distance and language, leading efficiently across cultures also means profiling and adapting your message to a very different audience, many times with very different or even opposed values than you are accustomed to. This can be difficult and even a daunting task in many organizations, one of the main causes being the assumption that the company’s culture is one no matter the place of the office or the personal preferences of employees. While this may be true up to a level, communication has nuances and characteristics that go beyond the regulated corporate behavior – it is deeply rooted with people. That is why, getting trained at spotting and using Cross Cultural Leadership becomes one of the top skills of managers and leaders in international companies. The training covers the competences needed to face cross-cultural contexts and challenges in a successful manner:
Profiling the Other Culture.
Adapting you style to the Other Culture.
Modulating.