Culture and diversity

Q1. How does culture affects the leadership style?

Ans. Culture effects the leadership so much as it can change the definition and dimension
of leadership. We can say that what appears a strength in one culture may be a considerable
weakness or short coming in the other culture.

Although, business is global but every business organization has a culture structured by the
business it is in and the people who run the business. Chairpersons are also the products of
unique culture in which they have learned and conducted business. To clarify the role of the
culture we can imagine a situation.

A British executive who was trained at the best American school of business and have
received several awards to run the British organization so well was asked to run a Chinese
firm but incredibly the same executive could not run the organization in China even at
average level.

Several factors responsible were change languages, changed way of communication and
almost the biggest factor was changed culture.

 Culture can be a major factor responsible for Gender.

 Depending on the cultural context, your typical style and behavioural tendencies may be an
asset or a weakness.

Research has shown that leader’s decision making, communication style and dark side tendencies
are influenced by the geographical region in which they operate.

To make my example clear I would like to compare an Asian leader with an American leader. In a
country like America leader’s style is so frank, humble and amiable that leader’s often work with his
workers on the same table. This minimum level of power distance makes their work even better but
our Asian culture makes the leader a formal ‘boss’ and the employee as a subordinate this system
puts the power distance so high.
Q2. Do males and females lead differently?

Ans. Yes, men and women lead differently. Women lead by emphasizing more on
relationships, they are emotional and manage expectations and seeking input while men
focus on promoting their abilities and final outcomes.

Men are more singularly focused. They have the ability to narrow down and focus in on the
task at hand – they don’t always build their emotional connections or act on subtle
emotional signals.

Instead, the male focus is on what they need or where they need to drive the conversation
or results. I have experienced women as more sensitive and able to tune in the unspoken
aspects of a conversation, and focus on the needs of others, while at the same time
achieving outcomes.