The 3 ways being an Aussie inhibits your leadership effectiveness

Societal culture is one of the greatest subliminal influences on our behaviour. Whether we like it or not, we are conditioned to think and respond in a way that is aligned with the culture in which we live and were brought up in.

I’m speaking shortly about leading skilled migrants at the Australian Mines and Metals Association’s (AMMA) annual conference on migration. Here are three things that you need to be aware of as a leader in Australia:

1. Cultural Ignorance is a recipe for disaster. Rather than learning every single culture, it might be worth focussing on the 10 clusters of cultures in the world. For example, Australia is part of the Anglo cluster (with UK, USA, NZ, Canada, Ireland) and all the cultures within this cluster display similar beliefs and behaviours.

2. Culture effects leadership effectiveness. For example, displaying a humane orientated style of leadership is critical in Australia. Not so if your employees are from Latin America or the Nordic countries.

3. Don’t stereotype. While culture influences the style of leadership to which we will respond best, we all have had different experiences. You’ll be a great leader if you first understanding a person’s journey, their culture and tailor your style accordingly.

If you’d like a copy of the presentation, please click here to contact me.

Being slow can be good for your career

People today are in too much of a hurry. In a hurry to get promoted; in a hurry to get the next experience; in a hurry to go on the next course.

Contained ambition is noble. Accelerated ambition is a derailer.

Our working lives follow a natural rhythm with periods of growth and periods of consolidation. Without consolidating our knowledge and experience, we can’t successfully maintain the next level.

Time is a critical ally in our career. Perhaps the Kalahari Bushmen of Africa are right - they greet people by saying ‘Hambashla’ which means “Hasten Slowly”.
Perhaps we all need to hasten slowly in our career.