My Future As A Leader - 1516 Words

Often we as humans make assumptions of other cultures based on stereotypes and cliches However, we fail by relying on such narrow minded thinking. The nature of culture is very complex, and thus when observed requires a deeper understanding and awareness. These statements addressed by Erin Meyer truly resonated with me and my future self Looking into my future as a leader in the Healthcare field, I realized I need to become more culturally aware. The ever-changing work environment requires a leader who can lead across many cultures and use the differences that arise as an asset. In being a leader myself I will be exposed to multiple cultures and therefore must embrace the words of Brett â€Å"Avoid imposing single culture based approaches on†¦show more content†¦Becoming culturally aware I was able to understand that the French and Chinese culture held a high degree of respect for authority figures. Therefore, my experience and expertise in healthcare led Adam and Grace t o see me as the person who should lead. Though humbled by that, I began to discuss that in America teams are often built upon flat structures and rely on consensus minded discussions and decisions, not hierarchy. I hoped this would encourage them to interact and embrace shared leadership roles, but when asked to share their ideas with each other it seemed difficult. Upon talking with Grace, I realized that she was fearful of being humiliated if she were to continue her behavior in a egalitarian team. Suddenly I realized that I was trying to place a single culture approach on my multicultural team. Looking at all our cultures, I saw that we shared the concept of power differences in leading. Instead of imposing the american way on them, I adjusted my approach in instilling a difference in power and allowed them to see me as a leader. In becoming the leader, I noticed both Adam and Grace became much more comfortable and eager to work on the task. In hopes of overcoming future confli ct I established norms in that meeting which encouraged the members to share knowledge together. This balance between hierarchy and egalitarian allowed us as a team to build success, while