Leading in Times of Crisis: Navigating Through Complexity, Diversity, and Uncertainty to Save Your Business

LEVERAGING NATIONAL CULTURAL IDENTITY

“Who are you?” has different answers in different cultures. It may seem obvious that how you lead depends on who you lead, but in reality most leaders tend to impose their leadership philosophy on everyone, regardless of age, gender, or country of origin. They tend to forget that behavior varies considerably among different groups, and this is especially true when dealing with employees in foreign countries. This is due in some part to the fact that global organizations today sincerely want all employees to think of themselves as one brand—as McDonald’s, IBM, or Federal Express—rather than as, say, Spanish employees working for McDonald’s.

Behaviorally, however, people respond very differently to organizational ...