Most of the leadership principles are universally applicable. However, in many cases, the leadership approach needs to be customized to fit the target country's culture. There are subtle differences in the areas of communication, managing deadlines, business etiquette, etc. For example, in some cultures, like Italy and France, the deadlines are negotiable. If the deadline is strict and final, it should be clearly stated. There must be a logical explanation regarding the importance of finishing the process within the given time and how it fits the overall project sequence. The Germans meticulously plan their process and they do not like sudden changes in between even if it may improve the outcome.
What makes a good boss in different cultures?
An ideal Spanish boss tends to be highly autocratic and shows great charisma. The employees must follow and support the decisions without questioning. An ideal German boss follows a mixture of hierarchy and consensus-seeking approach. The German boss prefers competence to seniority and gives enough opportunity to his team members to come up with initiatives. A good boss in India follows clear and direct leadership. The Indian boss tends to be hierarchical, yet act as a father figure, a guru, or a mentor to his subordinates. The employees expect a lot of micro-management from their boss.
In the United States, generally speaking, the boss has a firm but friendly approach to his or her employees. An American team who visited their Indian counterparts in Chennai found it hard to understand the strict borders that existed between their Indian managers and team members. When the Americans send emails with some requests, their Indian managers reply by cc’ing a lot of people. When the Americans asked about this, their Indian counterparts replied by stating that it was important that their managers were informed about any correspondence they had received and that managers should also be involved in any discussions concerning the request made via email from their American colleagues.
What’s in a name?
Another interesting challenge for the Americans was the pronunciation of the Indian names which led them to find a creative solution. They quickly made some nicknames. So Rajesh Ravindran became ‘Rocky’, Mahesh Bhatia was named ‘Mac’, Padmanabhan Krishnamoorthy was called ‘paddy’, Santhosh George became ‘Sandy’ etc. However, some other cultures do not like the idea of getting called by a nickname. For example, the same Indian company had a major German client visit and when she introduced herself as Dr. Hilde Mueller, one of the team members asked her ‘Shall we call you Hildy?” From the look on her face, it was noticeable that she wasn’t happy about it and she politely said no to the request. Therefore, in Germany, it is very important to use their titles when necessary and the use of nicknames is not much appreciated.
Understanding the Flat structures.
In countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, there are no hierarchical glass doors that separate employees from their boss. This egalitarian approach is sometimes known as the ‘Scandinavian model’ in the workplace.
I was discussing the Scandinavian ‘flat structure’ model with Mr. Rajesh Mathukumali, a manager who works for a leading Indian IT outsourcing company in south India. During our conversation, he shared his experience on how he tried to implement a more egalitarian style within his team. He began by removing the necessity of his employees to address him as ‘Sir’. With this objective in mind, he called a team meeting and told them that everyone should call him ‘Rajesh’ from that moment on. After saying that there was a silence, some people murmured but didn’t speak anything back to him. “And the result was”, he continued with a smile, “they now started to call me by adding ‘Ji’ at the end of my name, like Rajeshji. In Hindi, the suffix ‘ji’ will automatically make the name respected. Some other team members feel a bit friendlier and called him “Rajesh bhai”. The Hindi word ‘Bhai’ is used as a suffix to the name to form an affectionate form of address to an older person. So even if he tried to implement the new form of address, the team members still managed to find a way to maintain respect for the hierarchy.
In this brave new digital world companies are increasingly working with international teams. The need for intercultural training as well as an understanding with regards to the differences in leadership styles, appropriate work behaviors, and etiquettes has become more relevant than ever before.
Over two decades of global experience in Intercultural training, Consulting, and Global mobility services ICUNET Group helps many expatriates and C – Level executives from different parts of the world in their successful international assignments. ICUNET is active in 75 countries worldwide and serves in the context of internationalization, intercultural collaboration, digital learning, and organizational development.
Contact our India team at suryaa.pawar@icunet.group