The Shadows that Blind Us

4edges [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

"Fascism is cured by reading and racism is cured by traveling."

- Miguel de Unamuno

In his classic The Republic, Plato tells of a group of people, who have spent their whole life in a cave, bound in place so that the only thing they could see is the shadows playing across the wall as those free to move pass between them and the fire behind them.  To these unfortunate prisoners, the shadows are reality.  Only when they are released and can turn around do they begin to understand what is indeed real.  Their discoveries only grow as they leave the cave and experience the outside world.  Plato’s Allegory of the Cave has become a staple of Western philosophy and its truths are more valid today than ever before.

As a fluent Russian speaker and a person who has spent a substantial amount of time there, I am often asked Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin.  Most people expect me to repeat what they hear on the news or to defend Putin.  The problem is, while the human mind wants a black or white answer, most often the truth is somewhere in between. 

If you look at the cave wall from the average Russian’s perspective, things look very different than from an American perspective.  NATO is not an alliance opposing oppression and championing human rights, but a coalition organized to oppose Russia and its way of life. To many Russians, NATO has purposely isolated Russia and refused to welcome it into its fold.  To Russia, NATO is a force marching ever closer to its borders, devouring former allies and even former Russian territories.  It is an existential threat to the Russian values and Vladimir Putin is the only one capable opposing it.  

To many Russians, Vladimir Putin is the man who pulled the country from the brink of economic and social collapse in the late 1990s and the only one keeping it from slipping back. He is the only one able to counter Western hegemony and restore Russian pride on the global stage.

The world we see on our cave wall largely depends on our perspective.  This is determined by where we live, whom we associate with, and where we get our information.  While the human psyche tends to cling to these perspectives throughout our lives, we can only change them for a more accurate understanding of our world if we have access to information that brings these views into contrast with others.

Unfortunately, our world is moving away from liberating people from the bands that tie them to their convictions and is, in fact, binding them ever more tightly to them.  The echo chamber of our mass media and the way we receive it more frequently feeds our biases than challenges them. 

We have more sources of information now than ever in human history.  The Internet, 24-hour news channels, social media, and instantaneous communication allow us to find information on virtually any topic at the push of a button. 

However, with this plethora of information comes the need to separate the important from the superfluous. Our minds naturally seek those things that we know and are comfortable with and avoid those that challenge our beliefs and debase the perceived stability of our world.  Information providers understand this and, in the quest to attract readers, increase the click-through, and garner ever greater advertising revenues, they have developed specialized systems to give us the stability our minds crave.

News outlets today cater to this need and provide a news resource for every view.  Fox or Breitbart for the conservative and Huffington Post or MSNBC for the liberal.  The news these outlets produce is no longer news, but political commentary.  They no longer provide us with the facts and allow us to put them into the context of our own understanding, but the news comes with a ready-made context.  We are told what it means and how to think about it.  Even the algorithms in our search engines look at what we most often seek and provide us with more of the same.  It is no wonder our society is becoming more and more polarized every day.

This polarization has migrated from our own personal cave wall to our collective walls. 

We wonder why our governmental institutions are so dysfunctional.  Why our elected officials can seem to get nothing done other than blame each other for the mess they all have created.  It is because we choose the candidates that make us feel good about the shadow-play before us.  They are a reflection of our own opinions and views. 

“People bind themselves into political teams that share moral narratives. Once they accept a particular narrative, they become blind to alternative moral worlds.”

― Jonathan Haidt

To keep our attention on the shadow play they have created for us, they demonize anyone that offers an alternative view.  Our society no longer cherishes and nurtures diversity, but tells us accommodation is a weakness, a sellout of the “defenders of truth.”

This is tearing our society apart.

The greatest leaps forward in American history have been brought about by cooperation, accommodation, and compromise – by a willingness to listen to alternate views and admit that certain institutions must remain while others must change.  Government for the people, of the people, and by the people and a free market economy are as important as ever, while practices like slavery, Jim Crow, religious discrimination, and gender inequality in any form must be rooted out of our society.  This process continues today. 

While the shadows playing across our cave walls may seem comforting, we must confront them for what they are, as distortions of reality.  We must do all we can to break out of our echo chamber cave, to expose ourselves to alternative ideas, to accept that others may see things from a different perspective and that this is what enriches our society. 

For example, the constant influx and integration of wave after wave of immigrants has played a significant role in making America an economic and cultural force in the world.  While commonsense legal controls are important, shutting the door can only lead to cultural stagnation and decline.

America was indebted to immigration for her settlement and prosperity. That part of America which had encouraged them most had advanced most rapidly in population, agriculture and the arts. 

- James Madison

When we buy into the extreme narratives that immigrants are a threat or that all who want a secure border are racist, we push the possibility that we can find a compassionate and secure solution ever farther away.  Dialog and a willingness to consider all views is the only way forward.

As we emerge our the cave, we must accept that not everyone will see things as we do, and this is not only all right but essential.

The Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone Built Elephant - Information Flow and Organizational Success

"There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out."

Russian Proverb

You may have heard of the Indian parable immortalized in John Godfrey Saxe’s poem of the group of blind men, who come upon an elephant. Each tries to create an accurate concept of what they have found based upon their own perspective. “It’s a tree!” “It’s a wall!” “It’s a snake!” All are correct, but none of them in entirety. In order to get the true picture, they need an effective exchange of information.

Similarly, in our professional world, the critical pieces of vital information are spread among various parts of the organization, and while each has an important contribution to make to the entire operation, until they get out of their silo and integrate their piece of the puzzle with the other pieces of information spread throughout the organization, we have another analogy – the self-licking ice cream cone.

When organizational information is kept in silos and the work of the various departments is based primarily on their own information without outside input, we have the proverbial self-licking ice cream cone. This is seen when R&D builds something because the engineers think it is a great idea without asking production what it would cost to produce or marketing and sales if there is anyone out there who would actually buy it at that cost. It is not that it cannot be mass-produced, or that there is no market for it, it is that the necessary stakeholders were not brought into the process at an early enough stage to ensure the self-licking ice cream cone does not build an elephant that looks more like a tree than an elephant.

I learned early in my project and operations management career that I cannot possibly know everything. In my first full-time role as a project manager, despite my lack of formal IT training, I was assigned several IT-intensive projects. Faced with this knowledge gap, I learned the value of using experts to fill in where I was lacking. I brought the necessary subject matter experts onto my team.

Much later, while interviewing an executive at a major regional bank, this concept was brought back to me as he explained his resistance to corporate pressure to restructure his division. He explained that he had built the organization with his own strengths and weaknesses in mind. He had brought in people to shore up the organization where he was weak. 

However, this requires a high degree of understanding of oneself and of others.

I explain in my article “The Blind Leading the Blind – Emotional Intelligence and the Unaware Leader” that the first step to any kind of leadership is self-awareness, followed closely by awareness of others. This is true whether you lead major bank division or a project team. You must understand your tasks, your and your people’s strengths and weaknesses and then build your teams accordingly.

Having a well-rounded team provides the expertise and points of view to find the most effective solutions. It also helps ensure all stakeholders have input into the project and are apprised of progress on aspects of the project that are of interest to them and that are aware of changes coming their way.

However, the benefits of effective cross-functional communication and input go beyond the project itself into implementation and adoption. Unfortunately, this is where many initiatives fail.

Including others in the entire process eases resistance to change by ensuring all have real input and buy-in to the process and a stake in the success of the project. Having changes thrust upon you, which you are not ready for and had no input into elicits resistance.

On the other hand, having production, marketing, sales, and distribution represented on the team result in processes and products, which have integrated the needs of all from the beginning.  This will help integrate the new capabilities into current processes and minimizes painful and expensive adjustments that often accompany poorly coordinated hand-offs between functions. 

This means production has the processes in place when R&D turns the product over to them, and marketing and sales have ready customer demand and distribution channels ready when the product begins rolling out the doors.

In today’s world dominated by agile product development resulting in a constant flow of new iPhones, software, and tools, those who can best gauge the voice of the customer, get the best product to market, in the shortest time, and at the lowest cost reap the benefits of being the first mover.

Those who cannot mobilize their organizational assets effectively to stay ahead of the competition go the way of companies like Borders, Blockbuster, and Palm Inc., maker of the Palm Pilot. All of which were overtaken by change they refused to acknowledge just as each blind man refused to acknowledge the elephant was anything more than a wall, a tree, a rope, a snake, and a spear. Mobilizing the power of organizational knowledge can help us see clearly the full picture and act on the resulting clarity.

Going Far Together – The Value of Cultural Guides in Cross-Cultural Communication

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” 

African Proverb

The anecdote goes, that many years ago, a plane full of gold went down in the middle of Siberia. When the KGB had finally located the wreckage, they were shocked to find that the gold was gone. After careful examination, they discovered tracks in the snow leading through the forest to an indigenous hunter’s cabin. The hunter answered their authoritative knocks, but to their dismay, they found he spoke no Russian. Leaving the man under guard, they located an interpreter and began the interrogation.

“Where is the gold?” they demand. The interpreter conveys their question and the peasant claims ignorance.

The agents pressed further, “We followed your tracks from the crash site to your cabin. We know you have the gold. Where is it?” The interpreter repeats the question in the hunter’s own tongue.

The man again feigns ignorance. The agents realize more persuasive measures are required. One pulls out his weapon and points it at the hunter’s head.

“If you don’t tell us where the gold is, your days are over!”

The hunter breaks. “I buried it under the tree behind my cabin! Please don’t shoot me!” he pleads desparately.

The interpreter, without hesitation says, “Go ahead and shoot, I’m not going to tell you a thing!”

Interpreters are often indispensable when working in a global environment. The skill, trustworthiness, and professionalism of your interpreter can make or break your negotiations. You rely on them to keep you abreast of all that transpires during your meetings with your foreign counterparts. In fact, they may be the only one in the room that gets the whole picture.

However, finding someone that can take your ideas in language A and convey them to your partner in language B is only the beginning. A truly effective interpreter understands the target culture at a much deeper level. As they are well versed in the history, literature, and etiquette of the culture, they are also able to help you navigate the cultural and social intricacies of these cross-cultural interactions. In other words, they must be more than an interpreter. They must be a cultural guide.

Another story illustrates their value:

After months of correspondence, an American company has finally landed a meeting with a key Korean retail distributer. This company has the best distribution chain in the country and ties to other distributers throughout East Asia. They enter the conference room, shake hands, and exchange business cards. The host takes the American leader’s card in both hands, looks at it, carefully and thanks them by name. The American looks at the Korean’s card briefly, memorizes his name and title, and puts it in his pocket. The Korean host’s demeanor cools noticeably, but since he continues discussions, the Americans think nothing of it, but the deal just doesn’t make progress. They don’t understand what happened.

Unfortunately, no one had explained the personal value Asian cultures place on a business card. It is considered an extension of the person and a key component of personal dignity. The card is , a part of what is known as “face.” As such, a business card should be given the same respect that is due the person it belongs to. By not giving the card proper respect, the American offended the host. Teaching local etiquette is a key role of a cultural guide, but this can only happen if their involvement began weeks before the trip.

During my many trips throughout Eastern Europe as part of American official delegations, we would begin our preparations weeks beforehand. As an interpreter, one of my key duties was to prepare a country briefing. This included a short history of the country, a basic familiarization with the language, including key phrases and words. I would follow this with a short lesson on customs and etiquette. One of the lessons I taught included the regimented order of standard toasts in Russia. This had a significant impact on building positive working relations with our hosts. For example, I taught that in military circles, the third toast in Russia is traditionally to the fallen, drunk standing, without clinking glasses. On one multi-site inspection, this third toast fell to my non-Russian speaking team leader. He gave an eloquent tribute to those who had fallen defending both of our homelands, including mention of the Soviet and American soldiers who together defeated fascism. By this simple toast, he earned the enthusiastic esteem of our Russian counterparts. Due to his good relations, he was able to overcome some very thorny issues that arose during the inspection in a very effective and amicable way.

As the above examples show, the insight a cultural guide can provide requires goes beyond linguistic support. Their ability to help avoid missteps and build an affinity with our partners. The cultural literacy the guide provides can pay significant dividends.

As an interpreter, I have supported people from all levels of responsibility from small team leaders to government officials and leaders of national-level NGOs. As I grew in experience, my management responsibilities grew as I managed the interpreters and teams of my own. Regardless of my rank, while serving as the interpreter, my basic duty was to ensure that both sides clearly understood the other. However, early on, I came to understand that my most important role was guiding my team through the intricacies of inter-cultural interaction and ensuring they understood not only the words, but also the unspoken meanings of their partners’ actions and ensure our team’s actions did not convey inappropriate messages.

A cultural guide’s training differs somewhat from a simple interpreter or translator.[1] Whereas many interpreters’ and translators’ skills extend beyond the mechanics of language to include cultural proficiency as well, each individual specialist falls somewhere on the continuum of cultural competency.

Full cultural literacy requires an in-depth understanding of the many factors, which make up the shared understanding and values of a culture. This often requires both formal and informal prolonged exposure to the language and the culture gained from significant time in country and study of its culture, history, art and literature, and philosophies. It is key to understand that language is merely the most basic vehicle by which understanding is shared between people, but it is not the only, and often not the most important one.

To be able to converse at a high or near native level, one needs to understand the unspoken cultural realia that is often interweaved into conversations, especially at a higher intellectual level. A simple phrase can carry meaning understood by natives due to its cultural context. For example, if an American says, “Here’s your sign,” we instantly picture Larry the Cable Guy and understand the implied meaning. No further explanation is necessary. A culturally literate specialist must understand and be able to convey this meaning in both languages.

When looking for an interpreter, it is important that they have the skills, both linguistic and cultural, to give you the support you need. There are some key concepts to keep in mind.

First, you should integrate your cultural guide into your team in the early stages of your preparations. They should be a key part of your planning process. Your guide will understand such vital factors as timelines to expect, the approaches that will be most effective, what would be an appropriate gift, what would be the best hierarchical makeup of your team based on your goals, and many other similar factors that will determine your schedule, scope, and tactics you will employ during your trip. Furthermore, if you visit a certain country regularly, you may want to include a cultural guide as a permanent member of your team.

Second, a cultural study led by your cultural guide should be a key component of your team preparations. This should include a historical synopsis, cultural norms and etiquette, any holidays during your trip, and key words and phrases such as greetings, please, thank you. A study aid or phrase book, including the name and address and phone number of both your host and of your accommodations in the local script to give to a cab driver or law enforcement if the need arises is highly recommended.

Third, your cultural guide should be trusted and confident enough to ask for clarification if something you say or do is unclear or if it may be interpreted negatively. He/she should be comfortable in explaining the possible meaning and consequences of that action or statement and clarify whether that is your intent or not. As with other members of the team, their input should be valued, but a professional interpreter and cultural guide understands that their role is not to lead the team, but to advise and facilitate understanding. Once they are sure the principal understands how the statement will be understood, if they decide to proceed, the interpreter’s role is to convey that meaning – no more, no less.

Fourth, understand that an interpreter/cultural guide interprets meaning, not words. What you say may require expansion or may be conveyed in few words than in your language. It may even not be possible to translate. This is especially true with humor. ALWAYS run jokes by your cultural guide before telling them. Humor often does not translate and puns or plays on words almost never do. Don’t put your interpreter on the spot of the mythical interpreter, whose boss tells a joke that does not translate. The interpreter, in desperation, explains to the audience, “My boss just told a joke that doesn’t translate, but if you don’t laugh, he’ll fire me, so when I say laugh – please laugh.”

Fifth, the cultural guide should not be the team leader. While a team leader well versed in the language and culture is an asset to the team, having another acting as a sounding board and filter is often vital. I have on occasion interpreted for people whose language was on par or better than my own, but wisdom and protocol require an official interpreter.[2] Working through an interpreter has certain benefits in official exchanges. First, if you also speak the language, it gives you a double pass at what your partner is saying and additional time to consider your response. If you do speak the language, I would advise speaking directly with your counterpart, however, during the official portions of the inspection, use your interpreters.

Finally, vet your cultural guide carefully. They will be key in ensuring you and your partner fully understand each other as well as helping you not only avoid the cultural landmines that could scuttle your success. Furthermore, a good cultural guide can also that could give you that added edge.

In our modern, globally connected world, the likelihood we will find ourselves working with people who speak another language and have different cultural norms. Having a well-trained and trustworthy cultural guide to help you navigate the sometimes complicated cultural maze and help you find the common ground where you and your counterparts can take advantage of the strengths each side brings to the table is critical to your success.


[1] Many people use the terms interpreter and translator interchangeably. While many may be able to do both, many professionals focus on one or the other. Translation normally refers to written translation, while interpretation refers to conveying spoken communication in another language.

[2] If you do speak the language, but are working through an interpreter, never publicly criticize or correct your interpreter. You will only discredit him/her and yourself in front of your counterparts.

Stalling the Engine of Success – When Ego Trumps Data

By Ahunt at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

(Also published on LinkedIn Pulse here)

The phone rings, you pick it up and hear the voice of the company's Chief Operating Officer saying, “Come see me, I need to talk to you immediately.”

You drop what you’re doing and rush down to the boss’s office.

“I’ve got a project for the process improvement team,” he says as soon as you enter his office. “Our operating costs are rising faster than revenues.”

He proceeds to tell you what the problem and solution are, then pats you on the back and says, “Get your process improvement team together and get to work on the solution we talked about.”

While this is not an uncommon approach, this experienced leader is missing some key ingredients for effective process improvement and change management.

Over the years, I have been part of numerous process and quality improvement initiatives. Shepherding one through to successful completion is not easy. In fact, less than 65% of projects succeed, and of those that do, many are significantly over budget and fail to meet projected results.[1] 

A big reason for this is lack of adequate root cause identification, lack of organizational support, and an abundance of organizational resistance. Over the years, I have heard many explanations for individual resistance to change initiatives. The most common points seem to revolve around several main themes:

• “They talk about empowerment but don’t really mean it.  I tried the suggestion system, and no one listened.”
•  “All they want to see is a bunch of pretty charts that don’t really mean anything.  If they want to know what is going on, why don’t they just listen to what we have been telling them?”
•  “They don’t really ever take time to understand our processes and our problems.  They just sit in their office and come up with ideas that do nothing but make our lives harder.”
•  “They’re just changing for change’s sake.” or 
• "If it ain't broke, why are they fixing it?"

My years of training and experience in project management have given me a strong appreciation of the core principles of process improvement, the insights of the “Gemba” (those most directly involved in the processes), and the power of data. Information is the fuel modern, high performing organizations run on and these are its primary sources. Without information, progress stalls and resistance builds. 

However, surprisingly few organizations tap these powerful resources.

Today every desktop and most smartphones have the capabilities and tools to unlock the power of data, which 25 years ago was only accessible to statisticians and supercomputers. Furthermore, the number-crunching abilities of spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel and process improvement suites like Minitab have democratized data analysis and provided much more powerful tools for root cause analysis and problem-solving to anyone willing to spend the time to learn them.

More critically, the institutional knowledge of an organization has always been a largely untapped resource. With information restricted to silos and not generally accessible, organizations are leaving one of the most powerful sources of innovation untapped.

Together, data and the knowledge of the Gemba are powerful resources – if we will only trust what they tell us. In aviation, spatial disorientation is a serious situation and the cause of many accidents. This occurs when the pilot, usually during times of low visibility, loses track of the plane’s position relative to the earth’s surface. This becomes fatal when the pilot trusts on their own instincts and ignores what their instruments are telling them.

Similarly, when leaders ignore the data produced by their operations and the input of those most familiar with the processes, it can lead to serious leadership disorientation resulting in operational and financial inefficiencies and even disaster.

It’s not that intuition and experience are useless, leadership disorientation sets in when instincts and judgment are not validated against the instruments of facts and solid data analysis. In this state, they may miss key indicators that can point out additional or even true root causes. Until root causes are determined, it is impossible to find an effective solution.

No one knows everything, not even the boss. By eliciting input from all stakeholders involved, we learn more about the processes, real root causes, why things are currently done the way they are, issues with the current process, and possible solutions to the problems at hand.

Furthermore, soliciting input from stakeholders is more than data collection. Study after study has shown inclusive change management succeeds far more often than solutions dictated from the on high.[2] An inclusive approach not only addresses the common objections to change listed above, it also increases the pool of experts and points of view, making effective solutions much more likely and organizational buy-in much more probable.

Additionally, while senior leaders do not necessarily need to be Master Black Belts, Scrum Masters, or Project Management Professionals, an understanding of the principles of process improvement, project, and change management is essential. Project managers should take the lead in helping them understand basic principles and their roles in these processes. They should teach them that while an engaged and unified leadership approach is key to a project’s success, micromanagement and intellectual arrogance may muddy the waters and lead to missed cues and inadequate solutions.

Leaders, on the other hand, must understand the contribution accurate data analysis and subject matter experts play in identifying root causes and enhancing their ability to formulate solutions to address them. While gut instinct, education, and experience are key in reading the situation and input to root cause analysis, leaders who champion transparency during change, trust and truly empower their people, and build open communication channels will find their understanding of organizational processes, problems, and solutions increase. Having the objective data that not only confirms their initial understanding of the situation but also taking into account information, which contradicts it improves the quality of their decisions and may even prevent grave mistakes.

Finally, while traditional incentives play a part in motivation, most workers want to feel valued and want the company to succeed. When they feel their opinions are valued, even if they are not always accepted, they will feel they have a stake in the organization’s success and will be the eyes and ears on the ground the leadership needs to make the best possible decisions. However, they can only do this if they are comfortable in sharing the insights and expertise you may lack and providing the solutions you may have never considered.

While the leader always maintains accountability and is often the only person in the organization that sees the entire picture, letting go of their ego and being willing to “trust the instruments” and facilitate open and transparent communication throughout the organization will improve the quality and organizational acceptance of their decisions. Employees will understand the rationale and feel invested in the decisions.

Data, whether from processes or from people is the fuel that high performing organizations run on. Don’t let your ego clog the lines and stall the engine of progress.

[1] International Project Leadership Academy. Facts and Figures. 2016. 12 January 2016. <http://calleam.com/WTPF/?page_id=1445>.
[2] A few examples are:

•      International Project Leadership Academy. Facts and Figures. 2016. 12 January 2016. <http://calleam.com/WTPF/?page_id=1445>.
•      Lines, R. (2004). Influence of participation in strategic change: Resistance, organizational commitment and change goal achievement. Journal of change Management, 4, 193-115. 
•      Mirvis, P. H., Sales, A. L., & HackeR, E. J. (1991). The implementation and adoption of new technology in organizations: The impact on work, people, and culture. Human Resource Management, 30, 113-139. 
•      Ferguson, E., & Cheyne, A. (1995). Organizational change: Main and interactive effects. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 68, 101-107.Reichers, A. E. (1986). Conflict and organizational commitments. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 508-514. 
•      Reichers, A. E., Wanous, J. P., & Austin, J. T. (1997). Understanding and managing cynicism about organizational change. The Academy of Management Executive, 11, 4859.          

A Mile in Another's Shoes – The Value of Perspective

Developing a Global Mindset through Foreign Language and Cultural Immersion

"He who does not travel, does not know the value of men." Moorish Proverb 

An American negotiating team arrives in Riyadh.  They are sure their proposal will be a big hit with the Saudi negotiating team.  Their talking points are ready, and they feel they should have the whole thing sewn up by evening.  However, their best-laid plans begin to unravel as the Saudis refuse to act like Americans.  They just don’t seem to want to get down to business.  The meetings start with coffee and small talk without a mention of business, and continue with tours of the city and other social events.  The Americans are growing frustrated.  What did they miss?

The thing is the Saudis are not doing anything wrong.  Just as the Americans are acting like Americans, the Saudis are just being Saudis.  For them, you must show your guests hospitality and get to know your prospective partners before you start talking business – to do otherwise would be rude.  This approach to business, common in many cultures including Arab, Asian, Latin, and Slavic is often unfamiliar to Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures, where friendship is friendship, business is business, and the one does not necessarily have to exist for the other to happen.  For these cultures, time is precious and the thinking is, “We came on business so let’s get to it!”

This may be a fictional caricature of a common situation, but it illustrates the intricacies of cross-cultural interactions occurring daily around the world.  As the global economy continues to grow and integrate, more and more people are coming into contact with other cultures and finding that not everyone works, thinks, or acts as they do. 

Just a few decades ago, relatively few people had direct contact with people outside their own country.  Most of their acquaintances were just like them. 

Things have changed dramatically.  The Internet, social media, and modern transportation have changed the way we live and interact with the world outside our own communities.  The effects on everyday life are significant. 

In today’s globally connected virtual economy, anyone with a computer and an internet connection can find and find your business, leading to not only new customers and but also to new partners.

For example, acting on a friend’s suggestion, a farmer set up a website to help grow his feed sales.  His website succeeded beyond his expectations when a customer placed a large order from China.  This farmer found himself in a crash course on international trade.

Checkpoint Charlie and Warning Sign in Cold War Berlin

As the world continues to integrate, the exchange of ideas, capital, and goods across borders has reduced hostility and border controls between countries.  As William Shurtz, the second president of Thunderbird School of Global Management pointed out, "Borders frequented by trade seldom need soldiers."[1]    

Border posts now stand empty across Europe and free trade agreements are proliferating around the globe.  Even when conflict does arise, as it has between Russia and Ukraine, it is often moderated by economic ties and potential loss of markets. 

With all these global opportunities, what can provide a competitive advantage? 

A common characteristic of today’s most successful companies is their ability to leverage diversity and foster the free exchange of ideas.  Those brave enough to seek out and welcome ideas that challenge their own paradigms find benefits, which would be unachievable in a mono-cultural setting. 

For example, Google’s famous free lunches and recreation rooms are more than perks.  They are part of a larger strategy to facilitate contact between people from different backgrounds, specialties, and functions.  Providing settings, where their employees can exchange ideas with people outside their normal social or professional spheres allows Google to mobilize the capabilities and perspectives of different people to resolve problems, create new innovative products, and find ways to increase the customer base.    

As with any great opportunity, diversity also presents its own problems.  Working with those who think and act differently increases chances for conflict and misunderstanding.  To navigate these waters, we must take time to understand the cultures and people we will be working with, we must build an appreciation of the diversity in the world around us, and foster a spirit of adventure to explore it.  We need to build a global mindset.[2] 

Monsour Javidan, the Executive Director of Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Najafi Global Mindset Institute, describing the Global Mindset in 2010, writes:

“Leaders with a strong stock of Global Mindset know about cultures and political and economic systems in other countries and understand how their global industry works. They are passionate about diversity and are willing to push themselves. They are comfortable with being uncomfortable in uncomfortable environments. They are also better able to build trusting relationships with people who are different from them by showing respect and empathy and by being good listeners.”[3]

Empathy and trust comes through good communication.  Therefore, learning another language and its associated culture is key in building a global mindset.  In 2004 Christine Uber Gross conducted a survey of Thunderbird graduates, who must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language before graduation, on the impact of foreign language study on their professional life.  She found that 82% of graduates rated the impact of language and cultural literacy in their professional life as significant.[4]  While learning a language is only the first step in gaining a global mindset, it strengthens our ability to empathize with others.

Until we learn to express ourselves in another’s language and see the world from their perspective, we have a hard time seeing beyond our own cultural biases.  In other words, we must spend time walking in another’s shoes.  As we learn about the cultural landmarks, of their art, history, religion, and language, we find that ours are not the only way to see the world around us.  This opens our perspectives and makes us more tolerant of others, even those with whom we do not share a common language.  Language study does more than teach communication – it expands our horizons, opening our minds to new ways of seeing the world and relating to others.

In fact, research has shown that people, who learn to express themselves in another language, learn to see issues from a broader perspective.  This impacts how we learn and positively influences intellectual development.  This is especially evident in bilingual children.  Therese Sullivan Caccavale, President of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL)[5] points out that:

“Studies have shown repeatedly that foreign language learning increases critical thinking skills, creativity, and flexibility of mind in young children. Students who are learning a foreign language out-score their non-foreign language-learning peers in the verbal and, surprisingly to some, the math sections of standardized tests.” 

The way we communicate influences our view on the world and reflects our cultural norms.  However, the interaction between language and culture flow both ways – language is also a product of a society’s shared historical and cultural legacy.  For example, Russians seldom use the verb “to possess something,” but rather say that something is near them.  This is a product of a history where the only person who truly owned anything was the sovereign who could take their possessions away at will.  Conversely, this conception of ownership also influences how Russians themselves view ownership and authority.  In gaining an understanding of others’ perspectives, we can better understand them and build productive relationships.

Building this understanding requires focused study, exposure to different ways of thinking, and immersion in language and culture.  Awareness of this is not new.  Programs like the Middlebury Language Schools[6] and the American Graduate School of International Management (today Thunderbird School of Global Management) [7] pioneered education in language immersion and internationally focused business management in the first half of the 20th Century.  However, with the growth of globalism and international trade have created a greater awareness of the need for cross-cultural and global leadership skills, resulting in a growing number of programs similar to those pioneered at Middlebury and Thunderbird.

Language and international business courses abound using a wide variety of methodology.  However, not all are equally effective.  While school courses, books, and computer programs can provide a basis for cultural and language proficiency, the watershed event in one’s education involves some kind of immersion.  Whether this is formal study abroad or working in a factory with native speakers, only when one is regularly exposed and required to function in a language and navigate the culture, will true proficiency develop. 

Furthermore, higher-level proficiency requires more than grammar and vocabulary.  Whereas much of the higher-level communication takes place in using abstract ideas, cultural context, and inferred meaning, this requires complementing the mechanical aspects of language with an understanding of the target culture.  This requires an immersion, building a sound knowledge of its art, history, religions, climate, political system, values, and many other factors.

Living in another country for an extended time, where you must function not only linguistically, but in daily interpersonal and cultural interactions infuses those aspects of culture, which are impossible to learn in a classroom.  Long-term interaction with the people, their language, and culture reinforces an understanding of the locals’ worldview and norms of interpersonal behavior.  Only then do the deeper, abstract meanings of their conversation begin to make sense.

We live in a world where global trade is no longer the undisputed domain large multinational firms with their substantial war chests of capital allowing them to leverage global markets.  Today, the Internet and cheap and efficient global delivery services allow even small businesses to export their goods around the world, requiring these much smaller companies to work with partners, clients, and legal systems around the world whose native cultures, laws and regulations, and languages are different from their own.

In the modern globalized world of business and mass communication, the ability to understand not only what people say, but also how they feel, their values and desires is vital in maximizing the synergistic potential of our multicultural world. When we can accept others’ way of thinking and living not as wrong, but simply as different from our own, we begin to understand that we can learn and benefit from looking at the world from their perspective. We are then on our way to a richer more fulfilling life as we are better equipped to succeed in business, resolve thorny political issues, to appreciate the wonderful diversity of our world, and build lasting relationships based not on coercion and threats, but on mutual respect. 

While we will not always agree and our interests will not always mesh, when we understand how others see the world and accept their right to do so, we can then find ways to make it a place we all can live in.  Studying not just foreign languages, but various cultural perspectives allows us to enter another’s soul – to walk in their shoes.  This helps us gain a deeper understanding of not only other cultures but our own as well.  The first step to true emotional intelligence is self-awareness.  This is impossible without the reflecting pool of our multicultural world.  When we see our culture and views juxtaposed against others, we can better understand ourselves.  This new understanding will lay the foundation for a truly global mindset and unlock the potential the diversity of our world has to offer.

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[1]  Thunderbird School of Global Management. About Us. 2 April 2012. 7 April 2012 www.thunderbird.edu/about_thunderbird/thunderbird_good/about/index.htm.

[2] For more information on what a global mindset is and how it influences our ability to interact with the diversity in today’s world, see Thunderbird’s Najafi Global Mindset Institute at http://globalmindset.thunderbird.edu/

[3]  Javidan, Mansour. "Bringing the Global Mindset to Leadership." Harvard Business Review (May 19, 2010): https://hbr.org/2010/05/bringing-the-global-mindset-to.html#.

[4]  Grosse, Christine Uber. "The Competitive Advantage of Foreign Languages and Cultural Knowledge." The Modern Language Journal (Vol. 88, No. 3 (Autumn, 2004)): 351-373.

[5] Duke University. "American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)." Fall 2007. Cognitive Benfits of Learning Language, Vol 8, Issue 1. http://www.actfl.org/advocacy/discover-languages/for-parents/cognitive#sthash.gk6l0BzU.dpufIf. 1 November 2015.

[6]  Middlebury Language Schools. The Language Schools' Mission Statement. http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/academics/language-schools-mission-statement. 1 November 2015.

[7] Thunderbird School of Global Management.  Thunderbird History.  http://www.thunderbird.edu/thunderbird-history.  1 November 2015.

The Blind Leading the Blind – Emotional Intelligence and the Unaware Leader

"The Blind Leading the Blind" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568)

File:Brueghel Blinde.PNG. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Fifteen years ago, my oldest son sat in front of the mirror looking at the little person staring back at him from the glass.  The baby in the mirror mimicked his every move.  He looked quizzically at the other child, then reached up and pulled his hat off.  Up until this moment, he had played with his reflection as if it were another baby, but now he had made a life-changing discovery.  He become aware of himself, taking the first step in becoming aware of those in the world around him.  This self-awareness is the first step in learning to interact with others – of learning to influence those around us. 

Recently, a reader asked what I considered the ten most important leadership traits.  The question has been on my mind since.  I repeatedly listed the defining characteristics of a true leader, but each list was a duplication of hundreds of others I have read.  I didn’t feel that adding to the already substantial and extensively studied genre would be as beneficial as taking a road a little less traveled.  Therefore, I decided to expand upon a factor I see as essential in any interpersonal relationship.

This came to me as I tossed and turned in bed trying to get my biological clock to figure out where I was and what time it was after another trip half way around the world.   As happens in the state between consciousness and unconsciousness, I experienced a moment of clarity.  Maybe it was a result of my overwhelming fatigue or because I sympathized with my wife’s efforts to sleep through my nocturnal gymnastics, but it occurred to me how important awareness is in our relationships with others.

A leader must influence others to contribute their time, efforts, and passions to achieve a vision.  Leaders can approach this one of two ways.  They can force or motivate.  While the former can work provided the leader has the brute force or authority to enforce their will, it is far from the most effective method.  In this environment, devotion to the cause is low and resentment to the leader high.  A beaten dog will lash out at its oppressor at the first opportunity.  People are no different. 

On the other hand, while motivating others to contribute their efforts to your cause willingly is much more nuanced and at times difficult, it is much more effective since it builds devotion and enthusiasm for the leader and their vision.  Motivated people are more willing to sacrifice and go the extra mile to reach the organizational goal.  However, motivating others requires that you understand yourself and the other stakeholders in the process.  It requires awareness on multiple levels.  It requires emotional intelligence or EQ.

British journalist Russell H. Ewing explained the difference between these two approaches.  He explained:

“A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting. A boss is interested in himself or herself, a leader is interested in the group.”[1]

Dr. Travis Bradberry,[2] coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, divides emotional intelligence into two categories:  Self-awareness and social awareness.  These describe how we perceive ourselves and those around us.  This, in turn, determines how we manage, first ourselves and then others. 

Our ability to influence others is predicated on our understanding of their needs, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.  However, to understand others, we must first understand ourselves.  Hence, self-awareness is the first step.  Psychologist, scientist, and journalist Daniel Goleman wrote:

“If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.”[3]

Self-awareness ensures we understand our own strengths, desires, and limitations.  Without this, we cannot possibly lead anyone else. 

Knowing what we are and are not capable of is only part of the equation.  We also must have a vision of where we want to go and why.  If we don’t know where we are going and have a compelling reason why others should follow us there, how can we lead them?  We are merely blindly leading the blinded.  Carl G. Jung said: 

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”[4]

Self-awareness is even more vital in a team environment where we must mobilize individual talents and manage the inevitable conflicts.  Until we know who we are, what makes us tick, our strengths and weaknesses; we cannot begin to understand and effectively manage ourselves, let alone others.  Until we know and are able to admit what we can and cannot do, we cannot begin to see the value others can contribute to our vision and goal accomplishment.  No amount of education or number of honorifics after our name can possibly ensure we know everything.  We need others to fill in the gaps. 

Furthermore, no one wants to work with someone who insists they have no faults and cannot see beyond his or her own ego.  If you are not able to acknowledge your limitations and recognize the relative strengths of others, those with better insight, the ones you really need on your team, will refuse to follow.  Even if you happen to be charismatic enough to attract people to your cause, you can only berate them or lead them into a ditch so many times before they stop following.  On the other hand, a climate that fosters respect for the contribution of others breeds devotion and cooperation.  The late co-founder of Hewlett-Packard David Packard pointed out:

“A group of people get together and exist as an institution we call a company so they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society, a phrase which sounds trite but is fundamental.”[5]

As part of a team, we need to feel needed – to feel we can make a real contribution.  We also need to feel that our opinions matter – that even the leader is open to feedback and advice even if it questions their decisions.  Only a truly self-aware person can take critical feedback without taking offense.  Even unjustified and malicious criticism has the potential to help us improve. 

Once we have a fair and unbiased awareness of ourselves, we can begin learning to understand others.  Knowing what motivates every member of our team can unlock the enormous potential contained therein.  Motivation is highly personal.  Some are motivated by material rewards while others by praise or accomplishment, but most people will give their all to be part of a winning team, even if the fiscal rewards are higher elsewhere.   Simon Sinek, the author of Start with Why explains how different rewards motivate.  He says:

“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute,” [6] furthermore, he also pointed out that, “We follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to.”[7]

How do we make people want to follow us?  Effective motivation is relationship based not transactional.  While earning a paycheck is one of the main reasons we work, the non-monetary rewards of working on a great team that accomplishes great things often has more influence on where we choose to work, how long, and how much effort we are willing to expend for that employer.  

For example, Fortune ranks Google as the best company to work for in 2015.  They write that while employees consider its famous perks a plus, employees most often point to the opportunity to work with great people and accomplish great things as the greatest perk of all.  In fact, Google goes to great lengths to facilitate interactions between its employees.  The free food and fun are engineered to create opportunities for employees from all over the organization to interact, building a strong corporate team.  The cafeteria lines run just slow enough that one has to stand in line, giving an opportunity to chat with others around you.  The tables are long and set close together causing strangers to sit near each other.[8]  These factors cause people to interact with others outside their own circle.  The result?  A cross-pollinization throughout the organization that breeds enthusiasm and innovation and a company that attracts and utilizes the best and brightest.

Similarly, a leader must get to know their people and learn what motivates them.  This is a vital first step in getting the most out of the team.  When we take time to know them and let them know we are interested in them as a person their devotion and motivation increases.  My father recently retired from Swanson Enterprises.  He fondly tells of corporate leadership visits to his machine shop.  The CEO and head of human resources would spend a significant amount of their time wandering around the shop floor talking to the workers.  He said they knew each of them including details of their families.  My father felt part of the team, he felt his leaders knew him and cared about him. Even in retirement, he is still a company advocate.

As Dr. Bob Nelson, an expert on employee motivation said: 

“An employee's motivation is a direct result of the sum of interactions with his or her manager.”[9]  

As with motivation, this interaction can be positive or negative.  Positive motivation results from the employee feeling valued and the leader helping them succeed by effectively utilizing their talents and abilities.  When in touch with his or her people, the leader speaks to what is important to the employee and sets them up for success.

Leaders’ awareness does not end with those they lead.  It extends up, down, laterally, and outside the organization.  John C. Maxwell’s The 360° Leader explores this concept in depth. He points out that:

“Ninety-nine percent of all leadership occurs not from the top, but from the middle of an organization.”[10]

This means that leaders must be aware of the needs of all stakeholders and be able to influence people above, below, lateral, inside, and outside their organization.  Ignoring any one of these groups could leave them without the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. 

Those above us set the vision, but not usually in a vacuum.  Being aware of their desires and needs not only helps us align our efforts to their vision, but also helps us to shape that vision.  People are more likely to listen to those who listen to them.  When we take time to understand our leader and their vision, we tell them we care about it and want to help achieve it.  This does not mean we blindly accept their vision but we rather try to understand it so as to be able to align our efforts to the leader’s and framework our proposals to fit it.  This puts us in a position to improve the joint vision. 

This concept applies to those below us.  When we are aware of the needs and desires of our subordinates as well as what they are able to contribute, we can assimilate this into our vision and ensure those above us are able to do the same with theirs.  This applies to our lateral relationships.  Knowing the resources and needs of those in other parts of our organization allows us to marshal their resources as well as support their efforts in achieving organizational goals.  In this way, all in the organization are pulling in the same direction.

The success of an organization, however, is not independent of external factors.  We all have customers, suppliers, government regulators, and those impacted by our operations.  While it is impossible to know everything, being aware of the needs and potential contributions of all these players is vital to our own and our organization’s success.  Products flop because companies ignored the voice of the customer. Expenses spiral out of control because companies fail to keep abreast of what is going on with their suppliers. Businesses lose access to markets or bases of operation when locals, upset at exploitation or negative environmental impacts on the population, rise up against the company as happened after the Union Carbide disaster in India in 1984, which killed almost 4,000 and injured over 550,000.

Being aware of all these stakeholders allows us to take their needs, opinions, and desires into account when setting goals and working towards them.  Managed correctly, we can mobilize the assets they have to offer in pursuing mutually beneficial goals while minimizing negative impacts, which increase their opposition to our operations.  It is said that a rising tide lifts all boats, but this is not necessarily good if the rising tide is a tsunami.  While steamrolling the opposition can work in the short term, it often blows back on us down the road.  Those we steamrolled may be our future employees, suppliers, or customers.  Cultivating good relationships will rarely backfire.

When we swallow our pride and look try to become aware of others, our horizons expand, our resources increase, and our vision of what is possible becomes clearer as we include more and more perspectives and points of view.  None of us made it this far alone and our continued progress depends on our ability to marshal those around us to our cause and help them make it theirs as well.  Myopia will only lead to the ditch of disaster, a broad view puts us on the pathway to success.

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[1] Font Stream Admin. Font Stream. 20 January 2014. Webpage. 5 April 2015. <http://www.frontstream.com/30-inspirational-employee-engagement-quotes/>.

 [2] Bradberry, Dr. Travis. Why You Need Emotional Intelligence To Succeed. 12 January 2015. 4 April 2015. <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-you-need-emotional-intelligence-succeed-dr-travis-bradberry?trk=object-title>.

[3]Goleman, Daniel. Brainy Quote. 2001-2015. 3 April 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/jwCJZcZVpbHRyy0W.99>.

[4] (Jung) Jung, Carl G. Good Reads: C. G. Jung Quotes. 2015. http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/38285.C_G_Jung. 18 April 2015.

[5] Font Stream Admin. Font Stream. 20 January 2014. Webpage. 5 April 2015. <http://www.frontstream.com/30-inspirational-employee-engagement-quotes/>.

[6]  (Font Stream Admin)

[7] Sinek, Simon. "TED.com." September 2009. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action. 5 April 2015. <http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en#t-11422>.

[8] Colvin, Jeff. "Fortune 100 Personal Bests - The 100 Best Companies to Work For." Fortune 15 March 2015: 32-36. Print.

[9] Nelson, Bob. Brainy Quote. 2001-2015. 5 April 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/bobnelson194814.html>.

[10] Maxwell, John C. The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005. E-book.