I refuse to believe there’s only one way of leading. While people intellectually agree, when our style of leading differs from their convention, they’re quick to judge and assume it’s ineffective. Seldom, if ever, does the difference excite curiosity and wonder, questions and conversation. No. Quite the opposite. We’re told it doesn’t work because of this or that. This is their bias. One of naivety and ignorance.
We are not just Canadian. We are Afghan, Viet, Scott, and Iranian. We are Chinese and Filipino. We are American, Italian, and Greek. We are not of one generation, but of many. Our own, our peers, our children and our ancestors.
Our ideas are not just ours, but the accumulation of study, countless scholars, and countless books are intertwined in the DNA of what makes us.
So before assuming, you know best, and that we should change for you, I encourage you to study us with earnest curiosity. Discover the whys behind those whats and hows.
Do not assume you know best for us, or that your way should be our way.
And when it’s all done and said, our tombstone will read, “We did it our way.”
Book: The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business (Erin Meyer)
