Why Intercultural Leadership Skills Are Crucial – by Carlos
We live in a multicultural world. In this world, we have to share our business, our time, and our information with people of different countries, of different ages…
Managing people of different cultures is a very difficult task, but the one able to handle the cultural differences will be the perfect leader for this emerging world and the good leader during profound changes in all organizations.
How many times have companies lost a business partner or a good collaborator? Many times the problem has been rooted in cultural misunderstanding: the different habits, time management, the proximity, and the treatment and importance of the power… Many aspects to manage, many aspects that if managed well make the difference.
Coke’s ad failed in the Middle East when they didn’t take into account that in the Arabic language, people read from right to left. The blunder resulted in a down-surge of purchases.
To become an intercultural leader, it is necessary to make – and to live – a process. The way of this process is very clear: knowledge, reflection and action.
Knowing your own culture, the whys of your culture and the whys of other cultures, using cultural models and applying them in concrete situations.
Reflecting with other people, with other points of view, enriching yourself and discovering other ways of thinking and processing information and other communicative strategies.
Acting in different situations to answer as best as possible for your organization and for your life. You must be able to quickly adapt to shifting circumstances, to bring the organization back into equilibrium.
At the end of the process it will be easier to communicate, to stay and to work with different people, and to create synergies that will improve your company, the business climate and the work teams.
About Carlos
Carlos Muñoz Novo hails from Spain and lives in Italy, having previously lived in Africa, Cambodia, Chile, Peru and Bolivia. He has a degree in Chemistry as well as a degree in Philosophy from the University of Salamanca. Additionally he has several master’s degrees: economics, HR and practical philosophy.
He is a university researcher and lectures in several master and postgraduate program on interculturality for business, business ethics and bioethics. Currently he is a corporate consultant on diversity issues, corporate decision-making and innovative governance models.
Do you want to learn concrete tools for approaching leadership effectively around the world?
Carlos is giving a 2-day workshop, Becoming Leaders in an Intercultural World, March 19th and 20th. Everything about the curriculum, schedule, etc. can be found here.
For non-Knowmads: Grab tickets here. There are also three free tickets for alumni to join; if you’re in, let us know here to claim one.
