How different cultures perceive effective leadership. (2013)

Eastern and Western managers diverged significantly on four dimensions: Eastern managers were perceived to have taken more actions associated with successful leadership than their Western counterparts.

Article by Caroline Rook, Former INSEAD Dutch Alumni Fellow; now of the Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Cambridge; with Benjamin Kessler, INSEAD Web Editor

Insead 21 Nov 2013

Based on the working paper ‘Global leaders in east and west – do all global leaders lead in the same way?’ prepared by Rook and Anupam Agrawal, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois.

“…there are notable and consistent differences in how high-performing Eastern and Western Managers behave professionally that have implications for leadership effectiveness.

“(the) study analyzed Global Executive Leadership Inventory (GELI) data for 1,748 middle and top-level executives representing 128 nationalities, including input from more than 13,000 observers of the executives.

“(It) found that Eastern and Western managers diverged significantly in four of the 12 dimensions: Designing and Aligning, Outside Orientation, Emotional Intelligence, and Resilience to Stress.

“…these dimensions … measure how well managers implement company strategy; promote responsiveness to customers, stakeholders, and vendors; foster respect and understanding in the workforce; and handle the pressures of the managerial lifestyle.

“In all four dimensions, Eastern managers were perceived to have taken more of the actions that the GELI associates with successful leadership than their Western counterparts.

….

“Since expectations of leaders change from country to country, how should expat managers adjust? Rook advocates a holistic approach: “Culture is just one aspect. Take different individuals into account. Where do they come from as an individual? What are their experiences in the workplace? How could that influence their expectations of you as a leader?”

Access the full article here: How different cultures perceive effective leadership

Find the original working paper here: Global leaders in east and west