MSPs Growing Internationally Need A Cross-Cultural Understanding

For MSPs looking to grow into a globalization-driven organization, having multicultural awareness is key. As workforces become increasingly multicultural and business continues to expand across the globe, cross-cultural leadership skills are becoming an increasingly critical component to building sustainable, profitable teams.

MSPs continue to be a significant presence in the global economy and IT services market. And with transnational MSP growth comes transnational teams and clients, both of which point to the need for leaders to build cross-cultural understanding. After all, how can one grow without understanding the markets you plan to engage with?

While it is important to know history and understand differences, it is also important to build an ability to lead while limiting personal biases or judgment. As inclusive leaders in complex, globalization-driven organizations, having multicultural awareness is key. As workforces become increasingly multicultural and businesses continue to expand across the globe, cross-cultural leadership skills are critically important to building sustainable teams.

Market research company Technavio reports that between 2020 and 2024, the global market for cross-cultural training services is expected to expand by $1.2 billion. Reasons include increased expatriate assignments, a growing emphasis on corporate cultural awareness and new opportunities post the COVID-19 crisis.

Considering all this market change and growth, here are some important traits that make the biggest differences in leading across complex global organizations.

Flexibility And Open-Mindedness

Open-mindedness and flexibility are important to distinguish a successful cross-cultural leader. However, while experiencing other cultures is important, understanding that one assimilation is not the goal. Bending toward sameness is the opposite of being flexible and open-minded.

Inclusive leaders see patterns clearly in local cultures, while successful global leaders maintain a healthy level of detachment from them. Understanding and embracing another culture never means ignoring its deeply ingrained habits. We understand that culture enhancement through difference is the goal.

Curiosity And Courage

There are always other things to learn in a constantly changing cross-cultural environment. One way to make space for different but complementary cross-cultural leadership approaches—empathetic non-judgment of the local or regional cultures while remaining slightly separate from them—is what some researchers describe as freedom within a framework. Essentially, this means producing a metaphor that holds a global frame while allowing for local adjustment. Having the courage to be curious about what we do not know culturally allows us to remove some of our biases. Inclusive leaders push their personal boundaries by fostering cross-cultural understanding.

Commitment And Persistence

Cross-cultural leadership is not an overnight success. It takes a lot of time and effort to build diverse teams and see the improvements they bring. Leaders need to be persistently committed to achieving common goals.

Today’s MSP organizations looking to grow internationally require leaders who can adjust to different environments quickly and work with partners and employees of other cultures to provide a bridge between cultural diversity and achieving business goals. Being able to tune into a culture and work with different worldviews is what makes leading with cross-cultural understanding all about.

In the words of Deborah Rowland, co-author of “Sustaining Change: Leadership That Works,” “Still Moving: How To Lead Mindful Change and “Still Moving Field Guide: Change Vitality At Your Fingertips:”

“See the world as others see it, don’t completely assimilate, and set a consistent framework within which local cultures can adapt the story.”

Photo by Pawel Janiak on Unsplash