The last class of this course is about leadership, motivation and global environment. In a multicultural environment, we might be misled by cultural stereotypes with inaccurate assumptions. It is important to be aware of different cultural values, norms and behaviors so as to adopt the most suitable strategy when leading in a cross-cultural environment.
In today’s class, students went through a case regarding a French executive from Michelin, Olivier Chalon, who is implementing his management strategies in the United States of America after moving from France. Chalon was confident in his leadership skills initially but found that his style did not fit in the new environment. In the USA, it is assumed that the culture would be straightforward and open but it is found that in terms of receiving feedback, sugar-coded messages are needed. In contrast, France is known as a high-context culture but negative feedback will be handed directly without softening the blow. With such differences between American and French values, the motivated leader from France became a demoralizing leader in the American business unit of Michelin. So, Chalon has to understand the different cultures and adapt his leadership style accordingly which brings him final success.
Guided by Dr. Hakeem, students learnt that key leadership elements such as providing constructive feedback and motivating employees may vary dramatically from one cultural environment to another. As an important takeaway from the class, it is essential to identify and develop strategies accordingly in order to maximize success when leading in a global environment.