In this blog I cover the fascinating and significant challenge of leading a global team of diverse people with vastly diverse backgrounds, languages, and cultures.
Don't get me wrong. Leadership is a privilege, effective leadership wonderful to behold. The attempt at global leadership is not only the challenge of magnifying the skills necessary to be successful but trying to avoid all the mistakes one makes at home.
At first your promotion to the business lounge of international airports seems exciting, luxurious, and glamorous. Once the initial drug of that gold faced plastic card is overcome, one begins to wonder why we ever do it. And yet, we are all aware of the saying 'Travel Broadens the mind'. Once you have done it, and understood it, you will truly feel you have had the privilege of your life. Taken away from the settled. fixed. sedentary. unmoving. life you had before you are now thrust into a strange world of words you don't understand, looks that you can't comprehend, and, in most cases, incomprehensible languages and customs. But first you need to be aware that you don't know what you don't know.
Global Leadership and how to avoid Global pitfalls
I have been privileged to lead global teams. And witnessed the most amazing naivety in global leadership. It's not complicated to understand why. Global Leadership meetings don't have to be like this
The first global leadership meetings I attended were far worse.
I could write chapters of anecdotes on this topic but for the sake of brevity I will mention only four.
1. Differences in meaning
2. Differences in culture
3. Differences in Leadership style
4. We are all the same
As always, all the following anecdotes are real, true, and experienced directly by me.
Meaning
'It sucks'. The words of a USA Global CEO speaking to the leadership team about the local UK business. What were we to assume from this statement, given that we had heard from a reliable source that the same CEO had partaken in some very personal local entertainment found in the bar of the hotel we had booked him into the night before.
Yes, language matters. And the worst assumption one can make is that an English-speaking person can communicate with anyone else that speaks English. Take for example USA and UK. If I go to a post office and ask for a rubber in the USA, I am likely to be escorted out of the building. If you do it in the UK, then the post office will happily provide an eraser to correct my mistake. If the American compliments my pants, then I might just walk deftly backwards out of sight before running to the nearest police station. The definition of trousers in one country is fraught with problems when it means underwear in another. It’s not the kind of comment that a reserved Englishman might expect on the first date. Italian maybe. But not an Englishman.
But its more than that.
It's also about the way you communicate. I have sat in countless meetings with American bosses who seem to think it's perfectly reasonable to say things like ‘If you don’t deliver you will be out on your ass’’ or, alternatively, during a performance review, ‘’we think your performance is ok’' The former might be true albeit it has nothing to do with my bottom thank you. But the latter can really be translated into English English as ‘’we think your performance is utterly brilliant’’. More of this later.
The same is true for other countries who think they speak the same language. English and Irish for example.
Or Scotland.
Few people from the soft underbelly of the English shires would understand the phrase ‘’Yer a bampot’’. Its English language (Scottish version). But do you know what that means? How should you react? (for the record, it means ‘’you are an idiot’’). The same kind of issue is true of Germany and Austria. Two countries divided by a common language. And a remarkably different culture and outlook on life.
If we find trouble in countries with similar if not the same language imagine what it's like for people whose mother tongue is not the same as yours.
I remember squirming as the global business unit CEO explained in front of several hundred or so employees flown in from across the globe that leading them ''is like herding sheep'' and that, furthermore, ''we should not beat around the bush''. Undaunted he continued despite increasingly bewildered faces, ''talking straight from the horse's mouth we must let sleeping dogs lie because it's no use crying over spilt milk. The fact is it takes two to tango and when we recognise this, we can understand that we will have found the best thing since sliced bread''. Ok, so I paraphrased a little. But I really did loose count of the colloquialisms, idioms, and proverbs after around twenty.
I looked around the conference hall at my young Russian colleagues, as yet naively untainted by west European corporate bullshit and gobbledygook. After what seemed an eternity, someone asked me a question. ''What did he say?'' I tried to explain. We all went for a drink. Or two. Later the CEO approached me. ‘’I think that hit the nail on the head’’ he said to me fishing for compliments. I replied in the only way I thought he might understand, ''Well, it takes more than a single swallow to make a summer'' I replied. ''What do you mean?'' I tried to give him some advice. ''Next time you must be clearer if you want to hit the nail on the head. '' I don’t understand he said. ''well, put it this way, if the leopard can’t change its spots, then it’s going to appear as daft as a brush''. He walked away none the wiser. Which is of course exactly the point.
Culture
Italians are corrupt, Romanians are immoral, Russians are drunk, and Germans only ever obey / give orders [just ask my German washing machine] . French have far too much sex, according to every other jealous country, and Americans are simply...well...simple. Austrians are dim, despite their elaborate titles [proof if ever there needed to be] as are the Irish. Unless you are Irish of course in which case anyone who speaks of 'Southern Ireland' [including those residing in Belfast] might as well be a representative of the devil. Unless of course you happen to reside in Belfast. maybe. oh yes...did I forget to mention it all gets quite complicated?
The trouble with generic generalisations is that they rarely apply to the actual people. All English are lager drinking drunks spending all their spare time in the Costa del Sol in English bars during the day, English nightclubs during the evening, venereal disease clinics the following day, and back to the English pub for an English breakfast at lunchtime. Except of course that isn’t true. Yes, there are a minority that succeed in winning the stereotype award, but most people don’t actually conform.....not always anyway. Assuming that all individuals are the same is a huge leadership mistake.
Why English is hard to understand.
Frequently my German colleagues would often ask me for a translation of what the English-speaking person was saying. Inevitably I would then ask, “what was the context”, to which my German colleague would be immediately confused. “What difference does context make?” “Everything!” I would reply, and then try to explain that English was so vague it always depended on context. I don’t think many of my German colleagues really understood it - not totally. But for an explanation here goes:
In English, if I talk about a trunk then it could mean a luggage carrier, an electricity cable covering, the centre of a tree, a person’s body part, an animal's body part, or the back of a car (really an imported American word – we in England prefer to use the word ‘boot’ !).
In German it means an elephant trunk. Why? because it's an Elefantenrüssel.
You see in Germany they tend to use exceptionally large words. Why? Because the country has a fine history and culture of precision. England, by and large, doesn’t. We love vagueness. You see vagueness is a beautiful thing (for Brits). It allows you to be diplomatic but rude all at the same time. An essential skill developed during the Empire years. Complimentary but derogatory in the same breath. Wonderful. Most Germans profess to hate it. That is if they are aware of it. We Brits exploit it. To understand it is an art.
How does this effect your approach to global leadership? You must understand the meaning of words - or rather - the various possibilities. And to do that you need to really understand the person…get into their shoes.
The following is an example I gave to my team in Russia in so they could better understand me.
It helped.
To recognise culture across boundaries is to recognise that people react in ways according to their own frame. A frame that has been shaped by their own lens of upbringing, experience, comprehension, and bias. This doesn't apply to only some people. It applies to all of us. Even, though I hate to admit it, me. No better example can be demonstrated as my own experience in Bucharest, with my dear French friend and colleague.
Raphael and I were on a business trip to evaluate the Romanian finance market. He was a person, as you would expect, quite different from me. He was studious, detailed, highly intelligent and, having lived in Germany all his life, very process orientated. I valued and admired his contribution to the team. I could talk a lot and decide, but I knew Louis would always add a valuable new perspective.
At the end of a long day of meetings and interviews we found ourselves back at our hotel where we made quick plans for meeting up for dinner. Now if ever there was a valuable tip for a Brit it is this - if you are with a Frenchman then take their advice for dinner! And so, it was. We agreed to meet in the centre of town where we would find the recommended restaurant.
A taxi ride later and we found ourselves downtown. It was hardly encouraging. Glum looking locals dressed mostly in 1970s style cheap nylon shell suits were going about their business. The street was full of rubbish and the overhead telegraph poles weighed down by a tangled mesh of wires and half completed electrical connections. It looked like the end of the world not the begging of a new dawn for the country. We of course in our sharp dark suits and colourful ties stood out like a working electricity socket in a Bucharest office.
I turned to look at Raphael, ''So, where are we eating tonight? ''Just a minute'' he replied as he unfolded his vast street map acquired from the hotel. ''Let me see...it must be just near here....'' He started to do what he does best. He studied each element of the map with immense focus and concentration. Suddenly, a remarkably well-endowed female approached me.
Slim, dark haired, with vibrant red lipstick and a short skirt verging on a bathing costume she announced, crudely, ''you want woman for the night?'' I was shocked. Not because of the situation; more because of the brazen communication. I looked at Raphael. His nose was buried in the map. No help there I thought. I looked back at my new local acquaintance. ''No thank you''. I replied. ''But thanks very much for asking''. At this point I instantly and nervously looked back at Raphael. Without averting his concentrated gaze at the map, he simple replied, in his wonderful French tinged accent, ''Good God no, I have not even had my dinner!'' And with that the 'woman of the night' looked at us as if we were mad, turned and disappeared into the throng of shell suits.
Like I say, the 'diplomatic' if unclear Englishman and the culinary connoisseur Frenchman. Cultural differences. They do exist.
Leadership style
Much has been written about various leadership styles and indeed there is plenty of research papers on the effect of different styles across the globe. One such example is
The 6 Types of Leadership Styles And How They Vary Around The World | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
What I want to focus on is the fundamentals of leadership and how such principles can only be considered even more important in a global context. Critical to any leadership position is building of trust. Nowhere is this more important than the new global leader visiting his or her teams in foreign lands. And to develop trust it is vital to ask questions. Questions about their views, hopes, aspirations, fears, and dreams. Above all about their dreams. Getting to know people, to really understand them is not a quick fix...it takes time and patience....for people need to get to know you too. To trust you too.
How do you gain trust? By being honest yourself. Open. Clear. And by sharing your own views, hopes, aspirations, fears, and dreams. Above all you have to be brave enough to display your own vulnerabilities. Empathy is about sharing. And to share you have to listen and try hard to learn. It's a two-way conversation, asking meaningful and genuine questions and demonstrating your own willingness to open yourself up.
If you think it's still a competition, you cannot achieve empathy.
Success is a kind of magic...a magic best described by the wonderful Brene Brown:
”Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone’”
It doesn't matter that you have a fancy title or a fancy background. It doesn't matter if you were taught in an expensive school or a prestigious university. Or drive a luxury car or a cheap rust bucket. Empathy is the most basic skill in leadership. Without that you shouldn't be a leader, locally or globally.
“It is, I think, that we are all so alone in what lies deepest in our souls, so unable to find the words and perhaps the courage to speak with unlocked hearts, that we do not know at all that it is the same with others.” Sheldon Vanauken
Atticus Finch may have been a fictional character, in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' but the power of the story lies in the most basic display of emphatic leadership. He was willing to put his whole career and reputation on the line in pursuit of his defence of a black man. Someone innocently caught up in the racial prejudice of a small country townsfolk.
Yet at the same time he was destined to regain the towns respect. Not for what he did but for how he did it. By practicing the ethic of sympathy and understanding and by recognising that people have both good and bad qualities. By being determined to admire the good while understanding and forgiving the bad. In so doing he wins the ultimate leadership outcome for himself and for his son.
“Before Jem looks at anyone else, he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look squarely back at him”
Leadership means taking people somewhere new. How else can you do that unless you can genuinely trust each other?
We are all the same
“The same blood runs in every human on the earth. You just have to see past the variations in skin and culture.” Sejal Badani
Sadly, the world is becoming, it seems, increasingly divided. Brexit or Remain, Left or Right, for freedom of movement or against, believing in the future or succumbing to despair. Increasing wars. Rising poverty and division. At least it seems that way. This is not the post to analyse and speculate on the reasons why. But what I can say, is that what we read, absorb, and see through vast and diverse types of media is quite different sometimes to the reality of human interactions that we experience with our own personal contact and exploration. There is poverty, war, and division. But are peoples dreams so very different?
If there is one thing, I have learnt through travel and leading people throughout the world it is this: in the end we are all the same. Most people want to live a better life, in peace and prosperity. We want the world to be a better place, safer, cleaner, and more secure. We want to do the best for our families and give our children the best chance in life. We might have different views on how to achieve these things, but the goals are pretty much the same. It doesn't matter if you are white, black, brown, or yellow. It doesn't matter if you are straight, gay, rich, or poor, we still bleed when we are cut and cry when our loved ones die.
Many years ago, a family member strongly challenged me on my views - ''how would you react if your children's school classroom was full of people wearing turbans or hijabs'' she said forcefully and in a negative angry tone. I replied ''well, I would hope and believe that my children would seek to get to know the character of the person, not focus what they are wearing on their head''.
The challenge for the world is this: can we acknowledge and respect our differences, our cultures, and experiences while at the same time accepting that ultimately, we really are the same in so many ways? And are leaders out there in the world able to rise to this challenge? I don't know. But I do know that individually you can do it for your own global teams.
The privilege of global leadership is precisely that you can make your own part of the world a better place. Less divisive, more appreciative of our different experiences and a far bigger understanding of our common goals and dreams. In the end isn't that the greatest dream a business leader can have? Is it not the highest motivation, to be able to look back on your career and to say that you truly facilitated greater understanding between peoples, helped raise the living standards across nations, and built teams that cared for each other and supported each other, laughed and cried with each other but who never thought one group of people was superior or somehow better than another. World peace may not be in my gift. But surely my business family and team is?
In this world we too often fall into the trap of thinking that the world's problems are the responsibility of someone else. That we are helpless in the changing tectonic plates of world challenges. But surely this is false thinking. Why focus on what we can't do? Why not focus on what we can? We as global leaders can make the changes we want to see in the world.
And the very first starting place is to put ourselves in the shoes of other people.
© 2024 Andreas Swadlo
Further material: The Attributes of an Effective Global Leader (hbr.org)
Looking for more hints and tips for global leadership? Starting a bigger role and would like some help and guidance? Or simply want to have another perspective, informal, private and with no pressure?
If you do, I can help. I or my associates can support you with a fresh approach to leadership issues, we can give you the power to de - stress and we can give you to the confidence to make a global difference.
Whether you want to totally transform your business, start a new one or simply refine a winning team then let me know. I truly believe that leadership matters....and that great leadership can make a great difference.