What is intercultural leadership? (East-West Leadership Q&A)

Summary

Intercultural leadership goes beyond traditional cross-cultural skills, focusing on managing diverse teams in today's interconnected global business environment. Unlike past approaches that emphasized cultural specifics for individual countries, intercultural leadership requires flexibility and adaptability to handle multi-national teams, industries, and cultures. Successful intercultural leaders understand cultural differences, adjust leadership styles accordingly, and recognize individual team member traits. They utilize tools like cultural maps and recognize that leadership in a multi-cultural environment is about blending different perspectives for organizational success, rather than adhering to a singular approach.

Takeaways

• 😀 Intercultural leadership is not just about specific cultural tips for individual countries; it involves managing diverse teams from multiple cultures.
• 😀 Cross-cultural skills, developed in the 1980s, focus on specific do's and don'ts for one culture but are less effective in the modern global business environment.
• 😀 Business today often involves dealing with multiple cultures simultaneously, making simple cultural comparisons and tips less practical.
• 😀 The purpose of learning about different cultures is to reduce unpredictability and increase trust, not to label cultures as right or wrong.
• 😀 Seasoned international managers understand that cultures are just different ways of reaching a destination, not superior or inferior to each other.
• 😀 The key question in managing intercultural teams is not 'Which culture is right?' but 'Which approach is best for the firm's goals?'
• 😀 Successful international managers use tools like culture maps to understand how different cultures vary in terms of behaviors like patience, reliability, and risk-taking.
• 😀 Only about one-third of a country's population represents the local culture, so intercultural leaders must also consider individual personalities when managing teams.
• 😀 Managers need to adjust their strategies depending on the varying cultural standards they encounter in international business environments.
• 😀 Intercultural leadership is a set of transferable skills that can be applied across countries, industries, and various forms of human culture, making it adaptable to any context.
• 😀 Effective intercultural leadership involves being flexible, observant, and able to adjust communication, processes, and strategies according to diverse cultural expectations.

Q & A

What is the primary difference between intercultural leadership and cross-cultural skills?

Intercultural leadership focuses on managing diverse teams across multiple cultures, adapting leadership styles based on cultural diversity. Cross-cultural skills, on the other hand, are specific to understanding individual cultures in isolation, offering advice for specific situations like how to conduct meetings or give feedback in one culture.

Why is it no longer enough to focus on cross-cultural skills in modern international business?

Due to the increased complexity of global business, where leaders interact with people from multiple cultures simultaneously, cross-cultural skills have become insufficient. Intercultural leadership is needed to manage teams, networks, and transactions that span various nationalities and cultural backgrounds.

How has international business changed since the 1980s?

International business has expanded significantly, with the value of international mergers quadrupling since the mid-1980s. Digital connectivity has also blurred the lines between distant countries, making global business more interconnected and complex.

What is the main challenge for leaders managing teams from multiple cultures?

The main challenge is balancing the diverse cultural standards and expectations within the team while ensuring efficiency and productivity. A leader must navigate different communication styles, management preferences, and business practices across cultures.

Why do people tend to trust their own culture and view others as strange?

This is due to the human tendency to consider their own way of life as normal and others’ ways as unfamiliar or strange. Learning about different cultures helps to reduce unpredictability and allows for better anticipation of how people from other cultures will behave.

What is the benefit of understanding different cultural perspectives in international business?

Understanding different cultural perspectives allows business leaders to see various approaches as valid rather than right or wrong. It helps in identifying the best way to achieve the company's goals by adapting strategies to diverse cultural contexts.

What are culture maps, and why are they important for intercultural leaders?

Culture maps are tools that help managers compare multiple cultures and orient themselves in complex, multicultural business situations. They provide a reliable reference for understanding how cultures differ in terms of behavior, communication, and leadership styles.

What should managers consider when working in a foreign culture with multiple nationalities involved?

Managers must be adaptable, adjusting their leadership style to the diverse cultural standards within the team. They must be aware of the different cultural expectations for things like meetings, compliance, risk tolerance, and quality, as well as recognizing individual work styles.

What does intercultural leadership involve beyond understanding different cultures?

Intercultural leadership involves the ability to mentally model different ways of thinking, predict behavior from people of different cultures, and lead them accordingly. It requires flexibility, observation of individual personalities, and adapting leadership methods to each unique context.

Why is it essential for international managers to observe individual personalities alongside cultural differences?

It is essential because only about a third of a country's population represents the 'typical' culture. Thus, successful management requires understanding individual personalities and adjusting tasks, feedback, and evaluations to fit personal work styles, not just cultural norms.