I have just stumbled on a leadership paper Butch submitted for his Executive MBA course at the SImon Fraser University in 2002. It is a long read but I thought it may be interesting for those who are in leadership roles in Canada, hence this sharing.
LEADERSHIP It is a widely accepted fact that cultural forces shape many aspects of leadership. The kind of leader behavior that is effective depends on the values and norms existing in the environment. An immigrant’s upbringing in a collectivistic and paternalistic eastern society is certain to clash with the individualistic oriented and confrontational western work setting. It is along this the context of cross cultural differences that I shall try to examine and gain insight into the kind of leadership that will be appropriate for me given the particular circumstances.
THE HUMBLING EXPERIENCE My self awareness was probably at its height during those painful uncomfortable moments of study group formation in Whistler. It was like playing the musical chair game. You are on the floor dancing, hovering on the chairs, shoving each other and as the music stops, everybody else is able to grab a chair except you as you remain all alone standing. The group formation process was very similar. There was a big difference though as this was no game at all. It was a real life situation and nobody was laughing. I tried to sell myself to everybody in the best way I could. I talked about my work experiences and accomplishments and why I would be an ideal member of a study group but still nobody wanted me in their group. What was worse, I listened to them but heard nothing really exceptional. Moreover I knew I was at par with anyone of them as I got one of those few “A” marks in the pre-EMBA course. Hence, I felt totally rejected when I could not get into any group. And when I started looking around, I saw seven other faces without groups: three Asians, one African, one Aboriginal and two relatively older ladies who looked as dismayed and bewildered like me. Then it dawned on me, this was not about logical choices. It became clearer that this was really more about prejudices, bias, stereo typing and misconceptions. It was more of staying within one’s comfort zones. That was my first lesson – painful as it was, it is something that I will be confronted with very often in a North American work environment but unexpectedly in a supposedly enlightened group of Executive MBA students. Moreover, I must accept the fact that this is not home. And that if I have to survive and prosper here, I will have to bear the brunt. I will have to make adjustments and will not unrealistically expect that people around me to change. Despite all those official pronouncements on multiculturalism and anti-discriminatory practices, it will still be quite a long while before some people will have a genuine change of perspective and will not judge others on their accent and the color of their skin. Another incident that pricked my sensibilities was a class discussion on a world bank memo on the economics of transferring pollution to the third world. Of course, it was sound economics but I could not accept the morality of having double standards on the value of life – comments like: “ the people there do not live up to 50 anyway. It does not make any difference”. The class reaction was of indifference and apathy but I had to comment that this is the very kind of dangerous thinking that drove many people in the poor countries to hate so much the west. Again, it was a valuable lesson for me. If I need to develop the right political skills in the work environment, I should be able to discern exactly the way some people think here. I have to go beyond the façade and the lip service. There was likewise another occasion when I had some insight into how other people deal with similar situations like in the Booth’s Vanatin case. I knew some people were just playing their roles but others have actually veered away from them and gave their own personal opinions. And again, there is that propensity for having a double standard of what is bad in the rich countries may not be so bad in the poor countries and it is totally justified to make money out of the misery and ignorance of the third world. I was just amazed at the sheer lack of empathy on the plight of people on the other side of the world. But can I blame them? Not a bit as perhaps, they have not seen real poverty, violence, numbness and hopelessness. I have no intention to disparage any of my cohorts as I may have been equally guilty on some occasions. Most of them, especially those with international experience are very well meaning. Some are just naïve, uninformed and insulated and lack of global exposure. The incidents I cited above have made me realized how different the environment I am in now. There is so much to learn from the professors but there is a lot more learning also from my cohorts and sometimes you have to listen to the “in between the lines” of what they say. Certainly I can not generalize but the class may be a microcosm of what is out there. I could not wait to see how I will be influenced and how I will change as I go through the program. I may just be like them eventually completely assimilated or my cohorts may just change with the program through constant exposure to people like myself. Now looking back at the way the study groups were formed, it could have been a blessing in disguise. I ended up with the most sensible cohorts in my group and I am really happy it turned out that way. I actually feel bad for the other groups. It was more their loss for not choosing us. We could have offered them much more – the diversity and global outlook if only they have seen us beyond their first impressions, our accent and looks. It was a humbling experience though and a shocking reminder. I have to start drilling into my head that this is not home. I am not in my elements. People will see me as different and many will have those stereo type beliefs of people like me. It was an eye opener. It was a good start to learn – to drop any more illusions. This is where I am now and how people are. I can not expect them to change for me. I will have to deal with it. I will have to remember how I completed one of those statements in the “Through a looking glass” exercise that “the best analogy or symbol that captures my leadership is …”, a chameleon. Yes, I will be like a chameleon – I will change my colors as needed and I will blend with the environment.
THE PROCESS OF UNLEARNING At the beginning of the semester, I started gradually draining the pond in my mind and as I did it, there were big rocks I need to put aside. My values, beliefs and life experiences were so much different from my cohorts. I had an unusual perspective on how I see things and I had to very conscious of it in order that they do not become a stumbling block to learning new things and appreciate other view points. The “Johari window of awareness in interpersonal relations” was a good starting point. It gave me a clear structure of how group process works as I embarked to experience the diverse interactions with my cohorts. The quadrant of unknown activity was the area that triggered my interest most. I need to discover and know more about the contents of this black box and in so doing may enhance my interpersonal skills. The exercise on locus of control was also very valuable. It validated perhaps what I already knew that I had a high internal locus of control. Nevertheless, it actually affected me more than that, as it gave me more confidence to trust my instincts and the decisions I make. The other exercises on self awareness were equally helpful. Others have confirmed what I thought I am: that I am confident, a collaborator, an optimist, resourceful and have a high tolerance for ambiguity. However, there was a slight surprise. I always thought that I learn more on active experimentation but based on my answers, it turned out that I learn better from reflective observation. The team contract and the exercises on group dynamics were all indispensable in putting our right foot forward. It enabled us to work out things right the first time. Spelling out at the outset, our goals, clear rules of behavior, responsibilities, expectations of each other and how to manage differences were very effective in molding our team into a cohesive, cooperative smooth running group. We avoided the usual pitfalls of uncooperativeness and unequal contributions through open and honest communications. The method of group consensus in arriving at a decision also played an important part in making our group closer and stronger. There was actually this time when the group was preparing for a book presentation. I worked on my part and presented it to the group. The group liked it and wanted to cannibalize the slides I prepared as some were good for the beginning of the presentation and they also felt other slides were really strong for the end of the presentation. I initially hesitated as I had spent hours working on my part and there was not much time to prepare another version of my part presentation. In the end, however, the group was able to convince me to let go for the good of the group. I reworked my presentation and rushed some more slides. It turned out that the group’s consensus was the right approach as we had a good mark for the presentation. The key to better learning is also going through the process of unlearning. Knowing myself and knowing how to deal with others are good starting point and are essential in the pursuit for greater knowledge. Nonetheless, it is important also to confront the mental baggage you carry from your past training and experience that are hindering you to accept new ways of thinking and doing things. It is not to say that they were wrong as they were the right tools for me in my past successes and quick rise in the corporate ladder in the particular culture and environment I was in at that time. I am just saying that some past norms may not be appropriate with my present North American setting and that I should always be conscious of that in order that they do not unintentionally block the way I look and do things here. The process of unlearning years of values and beliefs go hand in hand with acquiring new ideas, tools and techniques. I am not exactly repudiating my values and beliefs. I am just trying to put them at the back burner or put them in suspended animation to facilitate more learning. It is only by removing all mental impediments and maintain an open mind that I shall be able to clear the pathways of learning and replenish the pond in my mind with fresh water ideas.
THE CONVERGENCE OF LEADERSHIP Cultural differences have a way of creating a gap in many leadership practices. Somehow you can find a lot of congruence despite the usual cultural barriers. The search for my own kind of leadership style starts with the understanding that there are some leader behaviors that are universally accepted and effective. Despite the differences in cultural norms across countries, there are characteristics of leaders that are similar across cultures. The democratic style of management is both favored in the Philippines as well as in North America. Likewise, the need for a fulfilling managerial job is the same for managers on both sides of the world. However, the degree of influence, leaders in the west may be less as compared to that that in the east. Eastern leaders are often placed on a pedestal and normally have a greater say on the day to day lives of their subordinates, even extending sometimes outside their work. The rank and file labor in Canada, on the other hand do not defer to their managers as much as back home. This may not be entirely due to the leader himself but mainly due to an aggregate of other social factors. It is important to be aware of both these similarities and differences. The ability to discern what type of leadership skills will work on this side of the world is central to one’s success as a manager. I have to divest myself of the old notion of kinship, patronage and personal relations nor the paternalistic or the benevolent autocrat types of leadership. I have to work on identifying practices that will work on both sides of the fence and most particularly those that will work in Canada. By being able to recognize the acceptable leader behaviors in Canada, I should be able to zero in on the kind of leadership that I will be very comfortable with and be most effective. This is not to say that I will completely get rid of all other eastern leader behaviors. There are situations when diversity works, when doing things differently become valuable assets. In many occasions, diversity in thinking and doing things in the work place sometimes contribute to innovation and performance improvement. In a multi-cultural society like we have in Canada, there is that convergence of leadership practices. It may still be quite a while however before we reach a blend of leadership that truly reflects our cultural diversity. The official pronouncements are for multi-culturalism but the fact out there – there are still glaring occurrences of discrimination in the work force. Having this convergence of leadership practices in mind, I have always desired to get into the mainstream big corporations but I have never been given the chance despite my past work credentials as Vice President and as senior executive with Carnation/Nestle and Sandoz/Novartis, both giants in their industries, “Gawad Sinop” awardee and past president of the Philippine Institute of Supply Management (PISM). I have to contend with the reality of working with small companies (although without regrets), and not much of a chance to be able to get into leadership positions in large companies where I may be able to explore and experiment with different leadership styles.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS There is some truth to what others say that problems are actually opportunities. Initially, I looked at my diverse upbringing as a hindrance to a lot things including learning. In time, however, I learned to navigate in both cultures. While they seem to clash before, now I can speak up my mind or listen to the unspoken. I can suffer in silence like I used to or complain frequently like any North American. I can be comfortable having agreements by shaking hands with people I trust but very detailed in contracts with others. Who said anyway that I can only be either and not both? I have decided not to harp on my ethnic background as an excuse for not moving forward. Yes, there is still a lot of discrimination out there but this will not stop me from being better. I have decided to take the best of both worlds. I have determined that my options have not been limited by coming over to Canada but being here have actually expanded my world. I have not lost the Philippines as I can always go back there and resume my career. I have actually added a whole country not just for myself but more importantly for many family generations after me. I may encounter more difficulties but my children will certainly be better off. Seeking the most effective leadership style appropriate to my circumstances is to assimilate all the valuable lessons in class. And in the process of doing so, I try to recognize the interplay of my value system with the environment around me. The kind of leadership that will perhaps work best for me is the situational type. I will have to wear a lot of hats and will wear the strongest suit that will be most effective with the kind of people I deal with and in the environment I will find myself in. I can be a structural leader when I work on data and analysis and be a human resource leader when I empathize with people around me. I can also be a political leader when I try to build my power base, allies and networks. And as I said earlier, I can be like a chameleon. I will be flexible. I will adopt a situational kind of leadership. I will blend with the circumstances. I will take the best of both worlds. I will not lose myself. And as Parker Palmer said the first shadow of leadership is: “ Knowing who I am does not depend on what I do”. Hence, I will continue to know who I am and where I came from. I will sway with the wind, dance with the music, roll with the punches but I will remain who I am.
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