If this is your first examination into the topics of leadership and culture, most likely you would like to know what leadership and culture are. Perhaps you would like to know if you are a leader and, furthermore, understand how leadership and culture relate.
First of all, leadership and culture are universal topics that have existed from the beginning of human history and have been studied for centuries due to the relevance to each other.
Further, we are leaders, as we have the ability to influence and it is a fact that we live in a globalized world. Your ability to lead will be benefited or harmed depending on your understanding of the culture.
How can you increase your ability to lead in a globalized world?
I agree with my mentor and partner Dr. John C. Maxwell when he says that ¨Culture eats vision for lunch¨
Leadership and culture are strongly related. Culture awareness provides a leader with an understanding of how to influence in a globalized world. In fact, a leader´s influence is effective to the extent of his or her level of cultural awareness and the ability to understand others to be able to connect with them.
Unfortunately, leadership and culture are often misunderstood.
- Leadership is been confused with management, entrepreneurship, intelligence, knowledge, pioneers, and of course, a title or position of responsibility or power. Moreover, being a leader has been confused with having the ability to lead.
- Culture has been similarly misinterpreted and mislabeled as ethnicity, diversity, and stereotypes, and a blend of national, ethnic, and organizational culture. Regrettably, the study of culture has focused more on our differences than our similarities.
If we would like to be successful in the fast speed of globalization and connect to influence others around the world, leadership and culture are inseparable subjects.
Indeed, I truly believe that a leader without cultural awareness and global leadership skills is not able to lead to his or her full potential—not in the global arena and not in today’s world.
Question: Are you influencing and connecting with others based on your cultural awareness?