In my career, I’ve taken self-defence classes, done defensive driving courses (frankly terrifying when you are told to drive straight at the image of a small person, even when you know it is a dummy), and occasionally had an armed guard. In certain countries, these felt like sensible precautions.

But nothing prepared me for a US HR leader asking whether I’d arranged an armed guard to be with me during a redundancy programme.

In Europe, that seemed absurd.

To her, it was essential.

The moment captured the deep divide in business cultures. In the US, job losses can be met with anger, even violence. In Europe, redundancy is painful but largely accepted as a fact of business life.

Security decisions, leadership styles, even how people react to change—culture shapes them all.

Have you ever had a moment where business culture completely threw you? 

When business culture shapes everything

In Germany, leaders are respected for deep expertise.

In the US, for bold vision and charisma.

In Japan, for their ability to build consensus and preserve harmony.

As a leader working globally, I’ve learnt that what works brilliantly in one country can completely backfire in another.

One American exec might push for a fast deal, while their German counterpart slows everything down with risk analysis. A European leader may feel frustrated at the slow pace of Asian negotiations, missing that trust takes time.

Cultural blind spots can derail a deal, a project, even a career.

Understanding them isn’t just interesting—it’s essential.

The best book I’ve found on understanding culture

If you work across borders, this is a must-read: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer.

It’s the best book I’ve come across for making sense of how cultural differences impact communication, trust, leadership and decision-making in business.

We all know that culture matters, but how do you actually understand it in practice?

Meyer breaks it down into eight behavioural scales, from “communicating” to “disagreeing” and “leading”, showing where cultures sit and how to navigate the gaps.
Want to know why your French colleague is comfortable with heated debate while your Japanese team avoids direct disagreement? It’s all in the map.
I use it as a go-to reference whenever I’m working with a new country or team. It helps me prepare, ask better questions, and avoid the blind spots that lead to mistrust or miscommunication.

Culture isn’t just soft skills, it’s the framework behind successful global leadership.