Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008 - (Page 34)

book excerpt EXCERPT FROM THE POWERS TO LEAD } C Contextual Intelligence EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT IS A PIPE DREAM FOR THOSE WHO REMAIN IGNORANT ABOUT THEIR CULTURE EXCERPTED FROM: The Powers to Lead By Joseph S. Nye ulture is the recurrent patterns of behavior by which groups transmit knowledge and values. Almost all human groups develop cultures, and they exist at multiple levels. Some aspects of human culture are universal while other dimensions are particular to a group. The culture of the group sets the framework for leaders: “Culture and leadership are two sides of the same coin in that leaders first create cultures when they create groups and organizations. Once cultures exist, they determine the criteria for leadership and thus determine who will or will not be a leader.” If leaders do not “become conscious of the cultures in which they are embedded, those cultures will manage them.” 1 The psychological needs of followers to attribute charisma to leaders in times of personal or social need may be true of many groups, but the particular traits vary across cultures: “A charismatic leader of one organization does not necessarily capture the hearts and minds of followers from a different type of organization.” Although Gandhi influenced Martin Luther King, Gandhi’s style was very Indian while King’s was very American. To take a business example, a new American boss in a Mexican plant fraternized with subordinates to create a friendly climate in the workplace, but his Mexican managers (who relied on cultural values of strong power and authority) rebelled because their power base was undermined. 2 EffecReprinted from The Powers to Lead (Oxford University Press) by Joseph S. Nye Jr. © 2008 by Oxford University Press. 34 SALES&MARKETING MANAGEMENT JULY/AUGUST 2008 tive leaders inspire followers through the careful management of emotion, but appropriate levels of emotional expression vary with cultures. Japan is not Italy. A Thai sees more than 20 separate smiles providing subtle cues where a Canadian sees only one “friendly smile.” 3 Microcultures such as a club or a workplace require as much cultural intelligence as national cultures. Many a corporate merger that looked lucrative to investment bankers because of economic synergies and opportunities comes a cropper because of cultural differences. Wal-Mart is known for its corporate culture of discipline, attention to detail and careful accounting. When Wal-Mart took over Blockbuster Video, it inherited a company with a laid-back culture that grew out of the 1970s, resulting in problems that plagued profitability.4 When defense contractor Raytheon acquired a rival firm the cultures were similar, but the CEO realized that “we had been their enemy for years and they hated our guts.” Rather than try to indoctrinate his new employees into an existing Raytheon culture, he articulated a new vision of perfection in production as the goal for the merged company, and adjusted rhetoric and rewards to reinforce this new culture. 5 The 9/11 Commission attributed the failure to “connect the dots” of intelligence in advance of the September 11 attack in part to cultural differences which inhibited communications between the FBI and the CIA. The FBI law enforcement culture sought and communicated information in relation to preparing cases for trial and convictions, while the CIA intelligence culture treated information as a continuing flow to be protected for future monitoring and warning. 6 www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008

Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Brian Tracy University Smart Sales Sales Strategy Smart Marketing Marketing Strategy Smart Management Management Strategy The Mother Lode of All Market Data Returns Embracing the Future Training Technology Incentives/Motivation Don't Become a Target Abroad Book Excerpt On the Road The Way I See It

Sales & Marketing Management - July/August 2008

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