Leadership concepts and applications

Leadership In an era of compounding globalization it is critical for leaders to appreciate and understand the many differences between cultures globally, and further, within varying regions of a nation as well. If a leader is going to be able to motivate team members from a wide variety of cultures, this is critical. Leaders who manage teams whose members represent diverse cultures must build trust by showing respect and a willingness to listen to their ideas and contributions. First and foremost, just the act of listening and appreciating their insights is critical, as communication is essential to keep members from diverse cultures actively engaged in contributing to the group. Second, leaders need to understand that cultural differences in communication styles and methods, in addition to understanding how cultural norms may be significantly different across diverse cultures as well. In order to understand these cultural differences and distances leaders need to study the work of Geert Hofstede (2006) and actively learn how the cultures of those they manage vary from the leaders' native culture. In studying the work of Hofstede (2006) attention needs to be given to the creation of strategies for bridging the gaps between the cultural dimensions shown. Leaders must also be the catalysts in their organizations to show by example how cultural understanding is as essential part of their roles and responsibilities including a concentration on bringing out the unique strengths of members of cultures different than their own. Ultimately any leader must embrace the responsibility of ensuring team members from diverse cultures have an atmosphere of trust and value so they can maximize their contributions to the team and in the process, grow professionally themselves. References: Geert Hofstede (2006) - Summary of Ideas about Cultural Differences. From Geert Hofstede's personal website: Accessed on October 23, 2007: http://feweb.uvt.nl/center/hofstede/page3.htm