Leadership is culture-specific
Research
shows that leaders’ decision-making, communication style and dark-side
tendencies are influenced by the geographical region in which they operate
What
makes a great leader? Although the core ingredients of leadership are universal
(good judgement, integrity and people skills), the full recipe for successful
leadership requires culture-specific condiments. The main reason for this is
that cultures differ in their implicit theories of leadership. Depending on the
cultural context, your typical style and behavioural tendencies may be an asset
or a weakness. Research has shown that leaders’ decision-making, communication
style and dark-side tendencies are influenced by the geographical region in
which they operate. Below we review six major leadership types that illustrate
some of these findings.
Decision-making
The synchronized leader. Follow-through is key to being seen
as leadership material in regions such as Northeast Asia (e.g., Mainland China,
South Korea and Japan), Indonesia, Thailand, the UAE, and much of Latin America
(Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile). In order to ascend the organizational ranks,
such leaders must seek consensus on decisions and drive others through a keen
process orientation. Business cycles can take longer as a result. But once all
stakeholders are on board, the deal needs to close fast or there is risk of
jeopardizing the agreement. Synchronized leaders tend to be prudent and are
more focused on potential threats than rewards.
The opportunistic leader. Leaders who self-initiate and
demonstrate flexibility on how to achieve a goal tend to be more desirable in
Germanic and Nordic Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway), the UK,
the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Asian countries that based their governing
and economic institutions on the British model (India, Singapore, Malaysia,
Hong Kong). More or less individualistic, these leaders thrive in ambiguity and
tend to be ambitious risk takers.
Communication style
The straight-shooting leader. In some regions employees expect
their leaders to confront issues straightforwardly. In Northeast Asia and
countries like the Netherlands, excessive communication is less appealing in
the leadership ranks—people just want you to get to the point. Accordingly,
task-oriented leaders are preferred. Straight-shooting leaders tend to be less
interpersonally sensitive.
The diplomatic leader. In certain countries communication finesse and careful
messaging are important not only to getting along but also to getting ahead. In
places like New Zealand, Sweden, Canada and much of Latin America, employees
prefer to work for bosses who are able to keep business conversations pleasant
and friendly. Leaders in these locations are expected to continuously gauge
audience reactions during negotiations and meetings. Diplomatic leaders tend to
be polite and agreeable.
Dark-side tendencies
The “kiss up/kick down” leader. When organizations emphasize rank,
emerging leaders tend to develop unique coping skills. It is a leader’s job to
implement mandates from above with lower-level employees. If overused, this
strength can lead to a “kiss up/kick down” leadership style, characterized by
excessive deference or sudden attention to detail when reporting up, and
issuing fiery directives or refusing to compromise when commanding
subordinates. Though never a good thing, this derailer is tolerated more in
Turkey, India, the UAE, Serbia, Greece, Kenya and South Korea.
The passive-aggressive leader. Some leaders become cynical,
mistrusting and covertly resistant, particularly under stress. Leaders with
this style are more widely accepted in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it doesn’t
seem to impede their advancement. Passive-aggressive leaders tend to be
critical and resentful. Ironically, their aversion to conflict often generates
more conflict.
To
be sure, it is possible for any individual to adjust their leadership style to
fit the relevant context. However, it requires a great deal of effort to go
against one’s natural tendencies and predispositions, and habits are hard to
break. It is also important to take into account the culture of the
organization, which requires a much more granular level of analysis to identify
the qualities that promote and inhibit success. When senior leaders succeed,
they often redefine culture in a way that is a direct reflection of their own
personality. Thus culture is mostly the sum of the values and beliefs of
influential past leaders.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the chief executive officer of
Hogan Assessment Systems, a professor of business psychology at University
College London and a faculty member at Columbia University. Michael Sanger is
an industrial/organizational psychologist and senior strategist in the Global
Alliance division of Hogan Assessment Systems.
Source | Mint – The Wall Street Journal | 8 June 2016
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