There are so many theories and definitions of culture that it can be confusing. One which cuts to a simple truth is that offered by Pellegrino Riccardi, who defines culture as “accepted and familiar behavior.”

One of the most important things that can differ in terms of being “accepted and familiar” across cultures is hierarchy. If you are leading or working in a multicultural team, it is crucial to understand how people view power and authority.

In a low power distance culture, a coaching leadership style is effective. Leaders can be confident in the ability to develop the resources inherent in their employees. With the occasional moments of steering people in a general direction, they will find their way.

Case in Point

Consider the story of the lost horse from Nick Owen’s More Magic of Metaphor–Stories for Leaders, Influencers and Motivators.

A horse with no identifying marks wandered into a farmyard. The farmer’s young son said he’d take responsibility for returning the horse to its owner. He mounted the horse, urged it towards the road and let it choose its own direction.

The boy actively intervened only when the horse stopped to graze or wandered off the lanes into a field. Otherwise, he just sat on the horse.

When the horse finally ambled into a farm several miles away, the farmer said. “How did you know to bring it here? Hey, how did you even know it was our horse?”

The boy said, “I didn’t know. The horse knew. All I did was keep him on the road.”

Despite the message of the story, the coaching leadership style—so typical of low power distance cultures—will work less effectively in a high power distance culture, where employees will be looking for a much more directive style of leadership (“Show me the road we should take”).

For example, a low power distance leader decides to apply a favorite approach and asks their team to brainstorm and come up with ideas on how things might be improved in business. This might well result in the high power distance cultures being silent and looking puzzled; they will be thinking to themselves, “Wait a minute . . . did I miss a memo or email? If I am not mistaken, you are the boss; you get paid a good salary to manage me, so tell me what I need to do and I will go away and do it for you.”

This is because cultures with high levels of hierarchy, or high power distance, show great respect for decision-makers, and decisions tend to be made by the few people with power. A brainstorm session will therefore feel strange; it might even feel uncomfortable for them to be asked to come up with their own ideas. Staff in such cultures will follow instructions and not feel obliged to understand the bigger picture. Examples of countries or regions with high power distance cultures are France, Italy, Latin America, Mexico, much of the Middle East, Africa, China, and Japan.

In cultures with low hierarchy, or low power distance, decisions tend to be made by consensus. Organizational structures tend to be flat. Leaders are expected to engage employees in discussions, as this will lead to better decision-making. Taking initiative and individual responsibility are appreciated. It is assumed that staff understands the bigger picture, even if they have no managerial responsibilities. Examples of countries or regions with low power distance are the Netherlands, Nordic territories, Australia, and Israel.

Feedback Tip

The ability of people from different cultures to give and receive feedback will also be affected by power distance. The higher power distance culture tends to favor a more paternalistic relationship; the role of the leader is to provide guidance—to protect and care for the employee who, in return, is expected to be loyal to their leader.

High power distance employees will struggle more to feel they have the room to give feedback upward to their leader. Leaders in this situation should create space through their communication style so employees feel able to give feedback. Sometimes the smallest change in communication can have a big effect. One specific tip to create such space is to phrase questions when asking for feedback as openly as possible. For example, the question “Do you expect problems with this project?” leaves little room and allows for a safe “yes” (or most probably “no”) answer. Rephrasing with “What possible problems could we encounter in a project like this?” creates room for more feedback.

Be sure to join me for session W314, “Capturing the Value of Diversity,” on May 9 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at this year’s ATD International Conference & EXPO. Also look for my book, The Eight Great Beacons of Cultural Awareness_, available in the ATD Bookstore._