Leadership Lessons

A Leader Arrives in Asia

A common story of culture shock

The story below is a story that I have seen play out many times. A leader gets a job offer in Asia and decides to take the plunge.

The First Day in Asia

After arriving in Asia after a long flight, the culture shock sets in. The cities are big and crowded, there are unknown smells in the hot and humid air. The brain gets stressed out by unconsciously noticing people moving at a different speed and rhythm than in the home country. For the first months, there is a constant strain on the brain to fit the amount of new inputs into the existing model.

The First Week in Asia

After settling in, the leader discovers similarities. There is a Starbucks on the corner that sells the same products as in his home country. A McDonald’s with the same basic menu, but enough local choices, to make the visit exciting. A trip to the supermarket or a local restaurant is exciting and exhausting at the same time. The brain is still trying to fit the new environment into the existing models. After meeting the colleagues exciting may set in, everyone is giddy with new potential. The local colleagues are happy to learn from a Western leader.

The First Month in Asia

Things are still new and exciting. The leader has discovered a dish that he likes and orders it a lot. Supermarkets and restaurants have become less daunting. However, at work, there are some slight issues. It seems that the colleagues are still happy to work for him and the senior management is full of praise. However there are some slight misunderstandings, it seems that people try hard to execute his orders, but the results are lacking. Complaining to senior management leads to frustration.

Three Months in Asia

Frustration sets in, it seems every task has to be explained in detail to the colleagues. Why are they not thinking for themselves? When asking the team why mistakes are happening and how to improve, the leader gets blank stares from the team. After one especially egregious mistake, the leader overreacts and shouts at one of the colleagues. The constant stress of the new environment has taken their toll. Also, he is constantly attracting attention because he likely looks different than the locals,.

Six Months in Asia

After complaining about his Asian colleagues, another person gives the leader a document about cultural differences in Asia. Reading it hungrily he realizes the mistakes that he has made. He learns about the value of face and the family of family. Finally, he has understood Asia. With the culture shock taking less toll on his brain he is able to adjust. His colleagues are used to a more hierarchical style so that’s what they’ll get. With a strict definition of tasks and hard quality control, the results improve. Knowing the value of face, the leader does not allow his decisions to be questioned.

One year in Asia

The strain of the culture shock has lessened. The resources this frees up for thinking at work has led to the realization that he really has not understood Asia. That understanding all the people of a region of 5 billion people is impossible. Also that he has to build his own leadership style. Simply copying the local style is not going to lead to success. Even if he behaved perfectly like a local it would lead to different outcomes, as his colleagues see him through their culturally tinted glasses. People are individuals and what might be a great leadership style for a 50-year-old from a rural area might be counter-productive for a Millennial city dweller.