Drawing precipitated conclusions in the area of communication during multicultural interactions can cause, among others, misunderstandings and low productivity.

Let’s see why it is important that you improve your communication in environments of cultural diversity and how you can avoid hasty conclusions.

Watch Video

One of the important areas that a global leader must develop is understanding, managing, and assimilating the style of communication used by others; as well as the non-verbal expressions.

I imagine you have noticed how in team conversations, some interrupt others and even raise their voices while someone else is speaking. For some, this behavior reveals anxiety, lack of respect, or lack of interest towards the person who is talking.

For others, this is common and is a sign of active participation in a conversation, it shows interest, and it is a way to create a good group atmosphere where people are having a good time.

“ In multicultural environments the values and beliefs behind each action are not evident. — DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

As human beings, we tend to judge without knowing the facts involved in specific situations and often would like the rules that we know and feel comfortable with to be applied by those with whom we interact.

However, in teams and in multicultural environments, the values, beliefs, and behaviors behind each action are less obvious than you can imagine and do not always allow generalization and application of personal norms.

A good foundation for effective communication in this globalized era is not imposing our communication style and not having a negative attitude towards different styles of communication. This tendency simply shows a lack of cultural understanding.

In this globalized era in which we live, it is important to know that there are those who value direct and open communication, while others prefer an indirect and more conservative approach. Each individual, group, and organization has different styles of communication based on its own culture.

What can I do as a global leader to avoid jumping to conclusions? Some ideas to keep in mind that are always useful when trying to achieve success in this area are:

1. The first thing is to understand that developing this ability is a process and that in some instances it may not be pleasant since it will require your acceptance of new communication styles and adjustments.
2. You can find it useful to give the “benefit of the doubt” to those who need it even if the situation is not in their favor.
3. It is also important to not use gestures or facial expressions when listening carefully to others to avoid appearing like we are disapproving of what they are saying.
4. Before jumping to conclusions, listen and ask questions with the intention of understanding others or knowing what the facts are, in order to avoid saying or doing things that others may perceive as wrong.
5. If the matter is not significant or relevant, forget it. If it is, try to have all the information possible in order to avoid drawing conclusions.
6. If you have a conversation for the first time with a stranger, carefully observe the person and the information presented to you. Do not get carried away by general elements such as nationality, how they use their eyes, the way they are dressed, or how they speak to determine what kind of person they are.

There are several options that can help you improve your ability to avoid jumping to conclusions too soon, especially in the area of ​​communication.

• First, I suggest that you improve your ability to connect with others. LEADINFORCE can help you in that effort to connect effectively with others, by increasing your influence in each situation, as well as by relating and identifying with people in a way that increases your influence with them.
• Second, increase your cultural awareness. We can also help you identify how culture impacts interactions, business effectiveness, communications, and leadership. In addition, we can help you understand the “why” behind common behaviors that are influenced by culture, how to minimize misunderstandings, maximize productivity, and see results and success.

Even though this is a very broad topic, it is necessary to develop these basic skills in order to achieve success as a global leader and to avoid jumping to conclusions. Therefore, start putting these ideas into practice knowing that they can serve you in every area of your life.

LEADINFORCE can help you in this effort. Do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you, your team, and your organization.

You can start achieving better results today! Let’s talk about how LEADINFORCE can benefit you, your team, and your company

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – VI appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

Globalization is a great opportunity to extend new frontiers, both personally and professionally. Yet, it’s a challenge for the global leader who is facing cultural differences and who seeks better results not only personally but organizationally as well.

Let’s observe the benefits that the leader and the organization have when they are not resisting change in a multicultural environment, and how this flexibility in a globalized world is a fundamental element both in a successful corporate culture and in the development of the global leader.

Watch Video

The speed at which commercial activities and technological advances are occurring today, demands flexibility and adaptation. Being flexible is one of the fundamental components of a successful corporate culture and an essential attribute of a global leader.

Global leaders, as well as successful organizations, are facing continuous change, growth, and development. Given the constant globalization and diversity in our organizations, flexibility allows you to:

1. Create a culture of success. An organization that implements flexibility in its programs will be creating a high level of loyalty, confidence, and productivity among the members of the organization. Today more and more organizations empower their employees. For example, they allowed them to work from home and have their own work schedule. Their focus is on the results and not on the process.
2. Promote diversity in teams. The success of a team lies in its diversity. Experienced, talented, and educated professionals today are in different locations around the world and have different cultures.
   Organizations that extended hours and virtual jobs with distant locations have the advantage of attracting diversity and talent.
3. Elevate leadership skills. High-performance global leaders have their own style of leadership, recognize their own strengths, and know how to use them. A corporate culture that includes flexibility allows these leaders to increase their effectiveness.
   
   A high-performance leader in times of pressure recognizes when and how to make a decision; therefore, they should feel comfortable and safe with their own judgment and in providing clear and precise instructions.
4. Expand the global mindset. Accepting the differences that the multicultural environment brings such as religion, beliefs, values, work and communication styles, and others specific to each culture is vital for the success of any leader or organization.

“ Being flexible is one of the fundamental components of a successful corporate culture and a global leader. — DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

The leader that achieves flexibility in a multicultural environment, among other benefits:

• Adjusts behaviors to other people or cultures with no difficulty.
• Accepts different points of view toward the same objective.
• Identify in each group the correct leaders for each project.
• Promotes the feeling of community in teams with different cultures and work styles.

If you or your team has not yet worked on developing a global mindset, visit us at LEADINFORCE, we can help you.

Without a doubt, flexibility is an important element within the corporate culture and is an indispensable quality of the global leader. Flexibility requires an open mind and a willingness to change.

The success of your global leadership and your organization can be achieved with the right culture, where flexibility is a significant part.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – V appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

Informal meetings between entrepreneurs or “networking events” are one of the activities in which the global leader faces cultural differences.

Let’s look at the benefits of building business relationships and how having an interest and curiosity toward other cultures can become a competitive advantage for entrepreneurs in today’s world.

Watch Video

In the city of Miami, where I lived, the chambers of commerce, as well as business’ organizations hold conferences and events for large and small groups on a weekly basis.

The vision of these events is to bring together entrepreneurs and business owners, from all types of industries, under one roof with the desire to expand their knowledge, improve their strategies, and build new and valuable business relationships.

It is clear that building business relationships are crucial to sustaining and growing any organization. Among the biggest benefits are:

1. Learn about the different corporate cultures practiced today and improve your business’ culture.
2. Make your business idea known and position your business.
3. Understand various industries and their business needs.
4. Find other entrepreneurs who can meet your business needs.

We have enough examples of successful global leaders, which prove that curiosity can lead a person to expand their knowledge. Even more so, they used curiosity as a fundamental element in business development and success.

One of them is Steve Jobs, creator of the iPhone, who was known for his vision and creativity which led him to be one of the most important visionaries and innovators of this century.

“ The global leader who develops the intentionality of being curious in each situation has a competitive advantage. — DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

Indifference towards others will not allow you to extend your vision in a globalized world. But, instead, curiosity in the global leader allows:

1. Innovation. In the changing environment in which globalization moves us daily, the leader who keeps curiosity about the different ways of doing things is the one who finds new ways to innovate systems, services, or products.
2. Connection. In order to influence others, it is essential to know how to connect with them, especially in the multicultural environment in which we live. Leaders who have learned the art of connecting with others are curious about them.

   In addition, they have the ability to communicate their ideas persuasively, establish immediate acceptance, attract followers, create and maintain successful teams, and lead organizations to success.

   To elevate your skills in these areas, visit us at LEADINFORCE, we can help you achieve it.

3. Perspective. Curiosity is what allows you to be connected to the world that surrounds you and to be aware of the best technologies, developments, and advances. Thus, you have a better perspective to provide the right solutions. Every entrepreneur and organization has its own culture. Cultural differences are not a barrier to the global leader; on the contrary, they are the opportunity to grow and extend borders.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – IV appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

By extending the frontiers, the global leader facing cultural differences discovers the need to embrace ambiguity and still have successful relationships, teams, and organizations.

Let’s see how avoiding and mishandling uncertainty can prevent you from extending your borders successfully and thriving in your next step. Let’s also observe how you can improve your ability to handle ambiguity in the globalized world in which we live.

Watch Video

In a globalized world, we increasingly face ambiguous situations were day by day:

• There are changes at high speeds,
• We have access to different cultures and
• We live in multicultural environments.

Maintaining effectiveness in ambiguous environments not only becomes an element of success but has advantages as well:

• Reduces the level of stress created by ambiguity. As you improve being tolerant in multicultural environments, you will notice that the level of stress decreases.
• Open your mind to finding new ideas and opportunities. The risk involved in facing something new or unfamiliar will turn into growth and new opportunities.
• Develop your ability to be flexible in the face of unexpected situations. In times of difficulties, the leader who manages to turn challenges into opportunities has a competitive advantage.

“ The best global leaders respond with confidence and adaptability to ambiguous situations and environments. — DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

Let’s see how you can achieve it:

1. Have confidence in yourself and your ability to face ambiguous and unexpected situations. Do not be afraid of making a mistake or not having the answer. Nobody has all the answers, not even the experts. You have the option to say “I do not know yet” or “I’m not sure, I must examine this before answering”.
2. Increase your intentionality by focusing on the results and not the process. In an ambiguous or unknown environment, you will not have all the necessary information. Do not wait until you know everything, that day may never come. Gather the information available, make the best decision you can and take action.
3. Avoid getting frustrated with ambiguity and most importantly do not openly show it if you are leading a team. Learn to manage stress and have ways to cultivate a relaxed state of mind. In the worst-case scenario, breathe deeply and start all over again.
4. Face ambiguity by asking yourself: What should I do? Instead of asking, what could I do? This way you will reduce the tension and more importantly take a step to increase your creativity. This way you can see ambiguity as an opportunity and not as a challenge.
5. Do not expect different results when continuing to do the same. Look for alternatives, if necessary go for a walk and take a deep breath or distract your mind from another project. The best option is to talk with someone else about the subject to bring new ideas to your mind. Work with a coach or mentor to have creative meetings that inspire you with better ideas and strategies.
   As a coach, I can assure you that this practice will give you excellent results. If you still not working with a coach, visit us at LEADINFORCE, we can help you.
6. Reduces the need to have control over everything and everyone. In a complex world, the expectation of maintaining control is unreal. On the contrary, it’s going to cause you unnecessary stress.
7. The best way to handle ambiguities is to be tolerant of them. Work to develop your ability to be flexible and change the course of action as you receive more information. Be tolerant and flexible in front of change. For example: in some cultures having a clear and rapid response is cause for praise and pride; while in other cultures it can be seen as unintelligent, not pleasant, as a direct and tactless response.
8. Use your resources: your experience, ability to reflect, and maturity count. Even if you do not have a lot of experience in a specific project, I’m sure it’s not the first time you’re in front of an ambiguous situation. Use your creativity, it’s your best ally.

As global leaders, we are facing great challenges. The ambiguity and uncertainty that results from working with different groups, cultures, organizations, and multicultural environments can be overwhelming.

The process of tolerating and managing ambiguity can be difficult, but gaining the results is rewarding for today’s leaders or for the organization.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – III appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

In the multicultural and globalized world in which we live, understanding others is the difference between having –or not having better clients, teams, and organizations. The tendency of the global leader towards diversity is one of the advantages that allow him to easily understand others.

Let’s see why understanding other people in a globalized world can mean the success or failure of your career or the project you want to achieve and 4 easy steps that can help you to successfully understand others.

Watch Video

Understanding goes much further than just listening to other people’s ideas. In multicultural environments, it is a set of elements, which implies having a basic cultural knowledge and developing the ability to understand others within their own context.

For example, for many years facial expressions had been seen as a response, mostly biologically conditioned. Today we know that they are also influenced by the environment in which we live and develop; more grounded in the culture that we create and that surrounds us.

Studies published in the journal of the Association for the Sciences of Psychology clearly demonstrate how culture influences communication. Akihiro Tanaka of the Waseda Advanced Studies Institute in Japan stated: “I think Japanese people tend to hide their negative emotions by smiling, but it’s more difficult to hide negative emotions in the voice.” Therefore, Japanese people may be used to listening to emotional cues. This could lead to confusion when a Dutch person, who is used to the voice and the face matching, talks with a Japanese person; they may see a smiling face and think everything is fine while failing to notice the upset tone in the voice.

“ Understanding other people in a globalized world can mean the success or failure of your career or the project. — DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

Are there advantages in developing our ability to understand others in a globalized world?

The art of understanding other people in multicultural environments and in a globalized world can mean the success or failure of your career or the project you want to achieve.

I could mention countless benefits of what it means to understand others in the globalized world in which we live today; however, the most significant is the opportunity to connect with others at a level where you can influence them. This advantage on a personal and professional level becomes the basis of successful relationships, teams, and organizations.

In what way can you develop the ability to understand others in a globalized world?

The first thing to keep in mind is that if understanding others, in multicultural environments, is not your best skill, do not worry, this skill can be learned and developed.

Then it is vital to expand your cultural awareness. Know your own culture well and begin to understand the current culture of those who want to establish relationships.

Your next step is to develop the ability to communicate, connect, and relate well with others. LEADINFORCE can help you; click here for more details.
In general, when looking into understanding others:

1. Avoid distractions when other people talk to you or when you are doing teamwork. This general norm of respect towards others can have different implications according to the culture or group in which you find yourself.
2. Have empathy with others, accepting that there are differences and that emotions may exist behind what others express. Although empathy can be perceived in professional environments as a distraction, in the long term, it will allow you to connect at a deeper level with others.
3. Create a successful environment in each conversation. Being present (focused), listening with respect, and giving feedback, are basic elements of communication and effective tools when connecting with others. For example, in the American culture looking into the eyes is a sign of trust and credibility. While in Chinese culture, maintaining eye contact can be seen as challenging.
4. Keep the focus on others and not on yourself. Listen carefully and pay close attention to others with the intention of knowing more about them and understanding them; this “may be your first big step” on the road to success.

In the globalized world in which we live, being a leader is not enough anymore; you need to be a global leader. You can start achieving better results today!

Let’s talk about how LEADINFORCE  can help you develop the skills that will allow you to become a global leader and be successful in the face of cultural differences.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – II appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

More than 3.5 billion people, who make up about half of the planet’s population, are connected through social networks. These are figures that we can’t ignore since much of what happens around us today is being influenced by these numbers.

If your personal and professional abilities, your experience, and your perspective are not based on a global and multicultural mentality, you are losing all the opportunities that globalization offers you. One of these opportunities is to expand your cultural understanding, but perhaps the most critical is to avoid misunderstandings in multicultural teams.

So let’s see how the lack of cultural understanding and global mentality leads to a cultural shock and misunderstandings in multicultural environments, and how we can avoid them.

Watch Video

When you meet someone for the first time, it is evident that even if he or she speaks the same language or even is native of a nearby region, you notice very quickly that there are differences in the views and perspectives of each person.

If you spend more time with these people, as coworkers or within your group of friends, and connect you begin to see that beyond what unites you with them (work project, goals, etc.) there are a number of values, beliefs, history, personality, profession, religion, customs, to name a few, that differentiate them from you.
As we are getting more and more interconnected with the rest of the planet and aiming to thrive socially, economically, intellectually, and professionally it is more than evident that we need to increase our cultural awareness.

“ The lack of cultural understanding and global mentality leads to a cultural shock and lower productivity. —DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

From the corporate point of view, bad communication, cultural shocks, and misunderstandings create a continuous state of low productivity.

Thus, cultural awareness is vital in order to acquire a global view and increase our cultural intelligence giving us a great resource for everyday interactions which is a competitive advantage for today’s entrepreneurs who are constantly interacting virtually and in diverse and multicultural environments.

In the absence of cultural awareness, when facing cultural differences, leaders tend to incur these five (5) main mistakes:

• Resistance to change,
• Disinterest in other cultures,
• Avoid and mismanage uncertainty,
• Misinterpret others,
• Conclude hastily.

In which of these areas do you feel you have a growth opportunity?

During the next week, I will be examining these five common mistakes in detail. In each blog, I will be providing more insight and practical exercises.

Doesn’t matter if you are leading a multinational organization, trying to recruit diverse talent, developing your business in multicultural settings, reaching foreign markets, or just networking and looking to carry on a good conversation in a diverse and multicultural environment; developing your cultural awareness is a key personal and business skill required for your success.

If you want to minimize misunderstandings and maximize productivity, results, and success; click here for more information.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – I appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

Drawing precipitated conclusions in the area of communication during multicultural interactions can cause, among others, misunderstandings and low productivity.

Let’s see why it is important that you improve your communication in environments of cultural diversity and how you can avoid hasty conclusions.

One of the important areas that a global leader must develop is understanding, managing, and assimilating the style of communication used by others; as well as the non-verbal expressions.

I imagine you have noticed how in team conversations, some interrupt others and even raise their voices while someone else is speaking. For some, this behavior reveals anxiety, lack of respect, or lack of interest towards the person who is talking.

For others, this is common and is a sign of active participation in a conversation, it shows interest, and it is a way to create a good group atmosphere where people are having a good time.

“ In multicultural environments the values and beliefs behind each action are not evident. —DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

As human beings, we tend to judge without knowing the facts involved in specific situations and often would like the rules that we know and feel comfortable with to be applied by those with whom we interact.

However, in teams and in multicultural environments, the values, beliefs, and behaviors behind each action are less obvious than you can imagine and do not always allow generalization and application of personal norms.

A good foundation for effective communication in this globalized era is not imposing our communication style and not having a negative attitude towards different styles of communication. This tendency simply shows a lack of cultural understanding.

In this globalized era in which we live, it is important to know that there are those who value direct and open communication, while others prefer an indirect and more conservative approach. Each individual, group, and organization has different styles of communication-based on their own culture.

What can I do as a global leader to avoid jumping to conclusions? Some ideas to keep in mind that is always useful when trying to achieve success in this area are:

1. The first thing is to understand that developing this ability is a process and that in some instances it may not be pleasant since it will require your acceptance towards new communication styles and adjustments.
2. You can find useful to give the “benefit of the doubt” to those who need it even if the situation is not in their favor.
3. It is also important to not using gestures or facial expressions when listening carefully to others to avoid appearing like we are disapproving of what they are saying.
4. Before jumping to conclusions, listen and ask questions with the intention of understanding others or knowing what the facts are, in order to avoid saying or doing things that others may perceive as wrong.
5. If the matter is not significant or relevant, forget it. If it is, try to have all the information possible in order to avoid drawing conclusions.
6. If you have a conversation for the first time with a stranger, carefully observe the person and the information presented to you. Do not get carried away by general elements such as nationality, how do they use their eyes, the way they are dressed, or how they speak to determine what kind of person they are.

There are several options that can help you improve your ability to avoid jumping to conclusions too soon, especially in the area of ​​communication.

• First, I suggest that you improve your ability to connect with others. LEADINFORCE can help you in that effort to connect effectively with others, by increasing your influence in each situation, as well as by relating and identifying with people in a way that increases your influence with them.
• Second, increase your cultural awareness. We can also help you identify how culture impacts interactions, business effectiveness, communications, and leadership. In addition, we can help you understand the “why” behind common behaviors that are influenced by culture, how to minimize misunderstandings, maximize productivity, and see results and success.

Even though this is a very broad topic, it is necessary to develop these basic skills in order to achieve success as a global leader and to avoid jumping to conclusions. Therefore, start putting these ideas into practice knowing that they can serve you in every area of your life.

LEADINFORCE can help you in this effort. Do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you, your team, and your organization.

You can start achieving better results today! Let’s talk about how LEADINFORCE can benefit you, your team and your company

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – VI appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

Globalization is a great opportunity to extend new frontiers, both personally and professionally. Yet, it’s a challenge for the global leader who is facing cultural differences and who seeks better results not only personally but organizationally as well.

Let’s observe the benefits that the leader and the organization have when they are not resisting change in a multicultural environment, and how this flexibility in a globalized world is a fundamental element both in a successful corporate culture and in the development of the global leader.

The speed in which commercial activities and technological advances are occurring today, demands flexibility and adaptation. Being flexible is one of the fundamental components of a successful corporate culture and an essential attribute of a global leader.

Global leaders, as well as successful organizations, are facing continuous change, growth, and development. Given the constant globalization and diversity in our organizations, flexibility allows you to:

1. Create a culture of success. The organization that implements flexibility in its programs will be creating a high level of loyalty, confidence, and productivity among the members of the organization.

   Today more and more organizations empower their employees. For example, they allowed them to work from home and have their own work schedule. Their focus is on the results and not on the process.

2. Promote diversity in teams. The success of a team lies in its diversity. Experienced, talented, and educated professionals today are in different locations around the world and have different cultures.
   Organizations that extended hours and virtual jobs with distant locations have the advantage of attracting diversity and talent.
3. Elevate leadership skills. High-performance global leaders have their own style of leadership, recognize their own strengths, and know how to use them. A corporate culture that includes flexibility allows these leaders to increase their effectiveness.
   
   A high-performance leader in times of pressure recognizes when and how to make a decision; therefore, they should feel comfortable and safe with their own judgment and in providing clear and precise instructions.
4. Expand the global mindset. Accepting the differences that the multicultural environment brings such as religion, beliefs, values, work and communication styles, and others specific to each culture is vital for the success of any leader or organization.

“ Being flexible is one of the fundamental components of a successful corporate culture and a global leader. —DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

The leader that achieves flexibility in a multicultural environment, among other benefits:

• Adjusts behaviors to other people or cultures with no difficulty.
• Accepts different points of view towards the same objective.
• Identify in each group the correct leaders for each project.
• Promotes the feeling of community in teams with different cultures and work styles.

If you or your team has not yet worked on developing a global mindset, visit us at LEADINFORCE, we can help you.

Without a doubt, flexibility is an important element within the corporate culture and is an indispensable quality of the global leader. Flexibility requires an open mind and a willingness to change.

The success of your global leadership and your organization can be achieved with the right culture, where flexibility is a significant part.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – V appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

Informal meetings between entrepreneurs or “networking events” is one of the activities in which the global leader faces cultural differences.

Let’s look at the benefits of building business relationships and how having interest and curiosity towards other cultures can become a competitive advantage for entrepreneurs in today’s world.

In the city of Miami, where I live, the chambers of commerce, as well as business’ organizations hold conferences and events for large and small groups on a weekly basis.
The vision of these events is to bring together entrepreneurs and business owners, from all types of industries, under one roof with the desire to expand their knowledge, improve their strategies, and build new and valuable business relationships.

It is clear that building business relationships is crucial to sustain and grow any organization. Among the biggest benefits are:

1. Learn about the different corporate cultures practiced today and improve your business’ culture.
2. Make your business idea known and position your business.
3. Understand from various industries their business needs.
4. Find other entrepreneurs who can meet your business needs.

We have enough examples of successful global leaders, which prove that curiosity can lead a person to expand their knowledge. Even more so, they used curiosity as a fundamental element in business development and success.

One of them is Steve Jobs, creator of the iPhone, who was known for his vision and creativity that led him to be one of the most important visionaries and innovators of this century.

“ The global leader who develops the intentionality of being curious in each situation has a competitive advantage. —DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

Indifference towards others will not allow you to extend your vision in a globalized world. But, instead, curiosity in the global leader allows:

1. Innovation. In the changing environment in which globalization moves us daily, the leader who keeps curiosity about the different ways of doing things is the one who finds new ways to innovate systems, services, or products.
2. Connection. In order to influence others, it is essential to know how to connect with them, especially in a multicultural environment in which we live. Leaders who have learned the art of connecting with others are curious about them.In addition, they have the ability to communicate their ideas persuasively, establish immediate acceptance, attract followers, create and maintain successful teams, and lead organizations to success.

   To elevate your skills in these areas, visit us at LEADINFORCE, we can help you achieve it.

3. Perspective. Curiosity is what allows you to be connected to the world that surrounds you and to be aware of the best technologies, developments, and advances. Thus, you have a better perspective to provide the right solutions.Every entrepreneur and organization has their own culture. Cultural differences are not a barrier to the global leader; on the contrary, they are the opportunity to grow and extend borders.

The post LEADING IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD – IV appeared first on LEADINFORCE - Blog.

By extending the frontiers, the global leader facing cultural differences discovers the needs to embrace ambiguity and still have successful relationships, teams, and organizations.

Let’s see how avoiding and mishandling uncertainty can prevent you from extending your borders successfully and thrive in your next step. Let’s also observe how you can improve your ability to handle ambiguity in the globalized world in which we live.

As you expand your leadership skills in a globalized world, you will be increasingly exposed to working with a high level of uncertainty. Additionally, maintaining effectiveness without having all the answers or not fully knowing the results of the next step.

In a globalized world, we increasingly face ambiguous situations where day by day:

• There are changes at high speeds,
• We have access to different cultures and
• We live in multicultural environments.

Maintaining effectiveness in ambiguous environments not only becomes an element of success but has advantages as well:

• Reduces the level of stress created by ambiguity. As you improve being tolerant in multicultural environments, you will notice that the level of stress decreases.
• Open your mind to finding new ideas and opportunities. The risk involved in facing something new or unfamiliar will turn into growth and new opportunities.
• Develop your ability to be flexible in the face of unexpected situations. In times of difficulties, the leader who manages to turn challenges into opportunities has a competitive advantage.

“ The best global leaders respond with confidence and adaptability to ambiguous situations and environments. —DR. LIANA C. SáENZ

Let’s see how you can achieve it:

1. Have confidence in yourself and your ability to face ambiguous and unexpected situations. Do not be afraid of making a mistake or not having the answer. Nobody has all the answers, not even the experts. You have the option to say “I do not know yet” or “I’m not sure, I must examine this before answering”.
2. Increase your intentionality by focusing on the results and not the process. In an ambiguous or unknown environment, you will not have all the necessary information. Do not wait until you know everything, that day may never come. Gather the information available, make the best decision you can and take action.
3. Avoid getting frustrated with ambiguity and most importantly do not openly show it if you are leading a team. Learn to manage stress and have ways to cultivate a relaxed state of mind. In the worst-case scenario, breathe deeply and start all over again.
4. Face ambiguity by asking yourself: What should I do? Instead of asking, what could I do? This way you will reduce the tension and more importantly take a step to increase your creativity. This way you can see ambiguity as an opportunity and not as a challenge.
5. Do not expect different results when continuing to do the same. Look for alternatives, if necessary go for a walk and take a deep breathe or distract your mind on another project. The best option is to talk with someone else about the subject to bring new ideas to your mind. Work with a coach or mentor to have creative meetings that inspire you with better ideas and strategies.
   As a coach, I can assure you that this practice will give you excellent results. If you still not working with a coach, visit us at LEADINFORCE, we can help you.
6. Reduces the need to have control over everything and everyone. In a complex world, the expectation of maintaining control is unreal. On the contrary, it’s going to cause you unnecessary stress.
7. The best way to handle ambiguities is to be tolerant of them. Work to develop your ability to be flexible and change the course of action as you receive more information. Be tolerant and flexible in front of change. For example: in some cultures having a clear and rapid response is cause for praise and pride; while in other cultures it can be seen as unintelligent, not pleasant, as a direct and tactless response.
8. Use your resources: your experience, ability to reflect, and maturity count. Even if you do not have a lot of experience in a specific project, I’m sure it’s not the first time you’re in front of an ambiguous situation. Use your creativity, it’s your best ally.

As global leaders, we are facing great challenges. The ambiguity and uncertainty that results from working with different groups, cultures, organizations, and multicultural environments can be overwhelming.

The process of tolerating and managing ambiguity can be difficult, but gaining the results is rewarding for today’s leader or for the organization.

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