4 Things You Must Learn to Lead Cross-Culturally

I remember the first time I spoke to the staff of Bulembu Ministries, one of the world’s largest residential care ministries to children in Swaziland, Africa. A month before I went, I had a dream I would be speaking on forgiveness, and I did. I remember the awe of God’s power and the presence I felt. I remember the roar of their collective prayers and their tears as God healed their hearts. It was a great time of healing and transformation.

What was also so glaringly noticeable in this adventure was the cultural mistakes I made. I had preached on forgiveness before, but this was the first time with an interpreter. Some of my expressions had to be explained. All of my jokes bombed. Overall, ministering in Swaziland was a powerful experience, yet I felt like a cultural novice who needed more preparation.

What is culture, you ask? Culture is the shared values, identities, beliefs, and motivations of the people. It is the way events are interpreted and their specific meanings of symbolism. Culture results from everyday, shared experiences of members of people-groups passed down from generations. Culture is deeply embedded in underlying beliefs and assumptions. You rarely notice your culture until you venture out into another unfamiliar one.

Not everyone has to “go to the nations” to be culturally challenged. Sometimes the nations come to you. Globalization has made the world more connected. Leaders of businesses, ministries, and churches are now operating and influencing on an international scale. So, no matter if you are going to the nations or the nations are coming to you, be ready for the leadership moment. Here are four things you should learn to equip yourself and your leadership team to lead cross-culturally.

1. Use a Cultural Framework

Look around your church, your ministry…how many cultures do you lead already? What are their cultural expectations of your leadership? How can the members of the next mission trip minister in a culturally relevant way? Where is your next international speaking engagement? There are so many questions to answer, and so many answers to remember for just one nation. Now, all of a sudden, you have two, three, or more cultures to research and understand to lead effectively. You need a system…a framework. A cultural framework provides you and your team with a method to sort the information you acquire about cultures. Learning and referencing information will be a lot easier for you using a cultural framework.

A robust cross-cultural framework provides a way to understand how cultures differ from one another. It should be comprehensive, logical, and user-friendly. It should serve as a tool to generate productive conversations about cross-cultural differences and how those differences affect your credibility, communication, and collaboration.

Thankfully, several constructive frameworks already exist, such as the nation model from Hofstede’s Insights, GLOBE Project, or RW3. Hofstede’s model observes six dimensions: Power Distance, Individualism versus Collectivism, Masculinity versus Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, Long Term Orientation versus Short Term Normative Orientation, and Indulgence versus Restraint.

Let’s break these dimensions down as we discuss the second step to cross-cultural development.

2. Research the Culture

Country specifics are essential. Some cultures very formally exchange business cards while I struggle to remember to bring mine to an event. I have learned to be intentional to bring a gift when I go overseas, while it is second nature for my international colleagues. Research so you will make the best first impression with appropriate greetings and gifts. Learn the gestures to avoid, greetings to give, and gender-role differences, especially in leadership. Learn about cultural differences for the situations you expect to encounter. Learn the behaviors, norms, attitudes, and values that will influence success to become all things to all people (1 Corinthians 9:22).

Let’s review Hofstede’s dimensions comparing other nations to the United States. For all the techy people, Hofstede Insights makes comparison convenient with an app. Power Distance: This dimension describes how much the less powerful people of a society accept and expect power to be distributed equally. People in cultures with high Power Distance accept an understanding that everybody has a place, and that is okay. India has a very high Power Distance with a score of 77 compared to a world average of 56.5. Even though traditional caste systems have been outlawed, the attitudes still remain. In nations with low Power Distance, the people strive for equal distribution of power and demand explanations for inequalities of power. The United States has a low Power Distance of 40.

Individualism vs. Collectivism: Is it “I” or “we?” This dimension describes the degree to which the people believe individuals are expected to take care of only themselves and their immediate families (Individualism) or that they view themselves as members of a particular ingroup that looks after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty (Collectivism). Japan, China, Venezuela, Guatemala, Indonesia, Brazil, and India are considered collectivistic cultures. At the same time, the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand are identified as highly individualistic cultures.

Masculinity vs. Femininity: Tough versus tender, as much as the name suggests, this dimension is not about gender. Instead, it represents a society’s preference for achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards for success (Masculinity) versus a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak, and quality of life (Femininity). Feminine societies are more consensus-oriented, while masculine cultures are more competitive. Egypt is a more feminine nation than the United States, which means they embrace the quality of life and an enjoyable working environment more than the United States does. People strive for agreement and avoid conflict much more in Egypt than in the United States.

Uncertainty Avoidance: Control the future or let it happen? This dimension describes how much a society feels uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. Nations demonstrate a strong Uncertainty Avoidance with rigid codes of belief and are intolerant of different behaviors and ideas. Israel has a much higher (81) Uncertainty Avoidance score than the United States (46). So, when visiting Israel, expect to witness a stronger need for rules, formality, contingency plans, and risk management than in the United States.

Long Term Orientation vs. Short Term Normative Orientation: This dimension describes the society’s balance of maintaining a connection to the past versus dealing with the challenges of the future. A low score reflects a preference to maintain time-honored traditions and norms, while a high rating reflects a more practical approach to prepare for the future. Iran has a lower (14) score than the United States (26) on this dimension. In comparison, Iran would appear to have more respect for tradition and fulfillment of social obligations, which, on the other hand, can also impede innovation. Iran displays less of a focus on long-term future investments than the United States. Brazil, however, has a higher score (44), and therefore, their work values such as learning, accountability, and perseverance would appear more future-oriented than the United States.

Indulgence vs. Restraint: Indulgent societies freely gratify basic and natural human drives to enjoy life and have fun while nations showing Restraint suppress gratification with strict social norms. The United States (68) has a higher Indulgence score than Germany (40). In Germany, people do not smile at someone, especially a stranger as it is seen as suspect. They are less likely to participate in networking events and value frugality more than what we are used to in the United States.

3. Use Multiple Methods to Discover Culture

Yes, please do your research, but now that you are in the culture, what other methods can you use to learn? I am so glad you asked.

• Watch local television.

• Ride around using public transportation.

• People watch in stores and restaurants.

  • Observe the amount of personal space people maintain.

  • Observe the way people greet each other and refer to each other by their names or titles.

  • Observe if time is strictly adhered to or relaxed.

It all really comes down to this: find as many ways as possible to experience different aspects of culture.Experience is the keyword here. Yes, personality and culture-specific knowledge absolutely accelerate discovering an unfamiliar culture, but nothing is more effective than spending time with the people. Meet people, observe what they do, spend time with them, nurture relationships, ask questions, and repeat. You will begin to notice patterns, discover what is essential, and understand preferences and values.

4. Discover the Cross-Cultural Adjustment Process and How to Help

Emotionally adjusting to a new culture is not really an issue for short-term business trips, speaking engagements, or mission trips; however, it is of significant concern for situations of long-term relocation. Remember that culture is deeply embedded in reflexes and underlying assumptions. After a few short months, the glamour of a new culture will quickly fade, and homesickness will set in. Psychological discomfort will happen, so it is crucial to understand the adjustment process and prepare for it. Leaders who understand the process are more prepared to give themselves (or their team members) time to settle into the new cultural behaviors and allow their emotional responses to catch up.

The Great Commission mandate is to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). God will either send you to the nations or bring them to you to present His Good News to everyone. Be ready for this moment of cross-cultural leadership. You are chosen to lead.

Many blessings, Dr. Diane Swanson