Maya Hu-Chan's Blog, page 6

5 Tips to Build Executive Presence to Get Ahead

Do you want to be promoted? It’s time to stop blaming your management and start working on building your Executive Presence! Find out how you can accomplish that and climb up the executive ladder by watching this video using these 5 tips.
1. Be a strong performer
2. Think and speak strategically
3. Listen to yourself
4. Look at yourself
5. Get feedback

Building Relationships in Virtual Teams

Do you know how to create a strong virtual team? The secret lies in building strong relationships! Watch this video to learn all about it.

Mike Howard Ronin Leadership Podcast with Maya HuChan

I was honored to be a guest on the Mike Howard Ronin Leadership Podcast where we discussed the concept of “saving face” which can help any leader preserve the dignity of those they work with, with those who work for them, and for those, they work for!

According to global leadership coach and best-selling author Maya Hu-Chan, the concept of “saving face” can help any leader preserve the dignity of those they work with, with those who work for them, and for those they work for!

Maya Hu-Chan examines saving face as a global concept that enables a leader to connect with people, break down barriers, and build trust/long-term relationships.

Maya Hu-Chan’s book is called “SAVING FACE: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust.” Maya is the founder and president of Global Leadership Associates. She is a dynamic speaker, executive coach, and popular author. An expert in cross-cultural management and global leadership, Maya was ranked World’s Top 8 Global Solutions Thinkers by Thinkers50, Top 30 Leadership Gurus, and Top 100 Thought Leaders in Management & Leadership. She empowers leaders to work effectively across cultures and lead diverse teams.

Let’s dive in and discuss “how to consider different perspectives, to think first and speak last, and to respect others above all else.”

Understanding Asian Communication Styles

“Hear ONE, understand TEN.” – What do you understand from this famous Japanese saying? (Hint: It’s about understanding hidden messages)! If you’d like to learn more, feel free to get in touch! Also, watch this video to get some useful tips on how to differentiate between Asian and Western Communication Styles.

Why a Global Mindset Is More Than Just Geography

Leading with a global mindset requires these five essential skills.

As a leader, Hannah succeeds on many levels.

A senior VP in a global tech company, her role requires complex coordination in a global structure, collaborating and synchronizing with multiple functions across the organization’s boundaries. Hannah is technically extremely accomplished — a go-to expert in her field — and loved by her team, who describes her as selfless and kind, a true servant leader.

On paper, Hannah seems to exemplify a leader with a global mindset, defined as having the ability to adapt to local global cultures and environments to achieve business objectives. But recent feedback shows that she is not quite there.

Hannah is based in Asia but works with colleagues around the world. She is very vocal about her team’s accomplishments and contributions. To her peers, this cheerleading of the APAC (Asia and Pacific) region — and no other — comes off as territorial, overly competitive, and narrow in vision. They perceive Hannah as only caring about the company’s work in Asia.

This feedback troubled Hannah. She says that because she and her team are not based in the company’s U.S. headquarters, she is afraid they’ll be forgotten if she isn’t extra vocal. But as a leader for a global company, Hannah needs to be mindful of all regions, not just her APAC team.

After some coaching, Hannah was able to more fully embrace a global mindset, which is made up of these elements, as defined by Bettina Büchel and Michael Sorell of the International Institute for Management Development.

Cultural Agility
Hannah is in-tune with Asian cultures, but she has the opportunity to broaden her understanding of the differences and nuances of cultures around the globe. This skill is defined as cultural agility. Leaders who have cultural agility can more successfully navigate the complex dynamics of global, multicultural teams. They are adaptable and agile and are able to bridge differences across cultures. I encouraged Hannah to develop her own cultural agility and be ready to adapt her leadership style beyond what’s required for her Asian team.

Being an Early Mover
Embracing a global mindset requires the humility to accept that great ideas can come from anywhere, not just your own region. And leaders must be ready to move on to those ideas early. Being open to the creativity and ingenuity of other markets can lead to great innovation. I encouraged Hannah to invite the ideas and opinions of other teams and to send the message, with her actions and words, that she values those insights.

Balancing Trade-offs
A global mindset requires balancing business goals, like standardization, with local needs and preferences. Global restaurants often do this when they adapt their menus to local tastes. This mindset requires openness and flexibility. I encouraged Hannah to adapt this thinking to her own role: Is she being too rigid in how she standardizes her leadership across regions?

Sharing Best Practices
Don’t keep your knowledge, expertise, and professional connections in a silo — share them across your organization. Be a mentor to colleagues outside your team. Share the things you have learned from experience. Connect people to one another and to resources. Having a global mindset is not just about geography, it’s about thinking beyond your own lane or function. For Hannah, it meant broadening her horizon and perspective beyond her own team and region.

Building Trust
There are many obstacles to global collaboration. Differences in culture, language, traditions, and customs can lead to misunderstandings and conflict. These obstacles are often inevitable, but their damage is mitigated when relationships are built on trust. I encouraged Hannah to be sensitive to differences and practice inclusion. Over time, she can build trust with those colleagues who perceived her as only caring about her home region.

In 1987, leadership experts Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus coined the term VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) to reflect the environment of constant, unpredictable change that business leaders face. In an increasingly VUCA world, adopting a global mindset can help leaders, and their companies, thrive.

This article was originally posted on Inc.com

Is the Glass Ceiling a Mindset Issue?

Contrary to what you may have heard, the fabled glass ceiling that holds women back from top jobs – is still alive and well.

A 2013 Harvard Law Review report noted that, although there has been progress in both the public and private sectors across the world towards balancing the gender gap in the boardroom, progress remains uneven.

Progress is most impressive in Western Europe where the highest year-on-year increase in female board directors was recorded in 2013. However, the US and Canada reported only marginal growth and the issue has not yet made significant progress in India or Japan.

In China, legislative efforts to increase the representation of women on boards of public and private companies have begun to bear fruit with over 50 cities adopting local rules regarding the selection of women for senior positions.

This is all encouraging. However, quotas, targets, and legislation alone aren’t enough to shatter the glass ceiling. After working with leaders worldwide for over 20 years, even if all the barriers keeping women from bursting through the glass ceiling were to magically disappear, the final obstacle to be overcome might be the mindset of the women themselves.

Let me explain.

There is no doubt that women contribute differently in the workplace at different stages in their lives. Naturally, many women need to take a break from work, even if only a brief one, to have children. Equally, for many – particularly for professional women working in the West – childbearing years often limit how many hours women can work, as they deal with the high cost of childcare or just a choice to spend more time with their children, especially when they are young.

However as children grow up and head off to make a life of their own, women often find that they can spend increasing amounts of time on their careers – much as they did before they had children – and contribute just as well as any of their male colleagues.

So if it isn’t necessarily about biology, why is it that women still lag so far behind in the boardroom?

Could it be that women hold themselves back or lack the confidence to live up to their own potential?

Not too long ago, I spoke at a global leadership event for women. It was part of a six-month program for up-and-coming female executives and, like many conferences centered on women, the agenda included topics on ambition, self-marketing, and work-life balance.

If women still need to be reminded that being ambitious is okay and balancing your career and home life is possible then perhaps it explains why women are often not getting a seat in the boardroom.

Can you imagine any man having to be educated that ambition is a good thing?

The trouble is, that ambition hasn’t traditionally been seen as a positive attribute for women. Society has long since seen the accomplishments of women like Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher who inspired a generation of women to reach for the very top, yet it seems we still have a long way to go until all women assume the kind of confidence and ambition that most men see as a birthright.

This confidence gap can be seen in the way some female business graduates approach their first job. A recent study at Carnegie Mallon University in the U.S. tracked graduates of similar academic performance to see how they fared in the world of work. After one year most of the females had accepted their first job offer – while the males had played several employers off against each other, were more confident in their own worth and, as a result, were earning around $7,000 more than their female classmates.

Sallie Krawcheck, Business Leader of 85 Broads (now Elevate), has also noted this disparity between men and women on the issue of asking for a pay raise: “I often relate how…some good number of my male direct reports would come into my office toward the end of every year, telling me how much they felt they deserved in a bonus payment. I never had a woman initiate a similar conversation.”
And yet there is ample evidence to show that quiet confidence in your own value pays dividends.

I have a coaching client who is Asian and in her early 40s. She works for a global retail giant and has been handpicked by her company for leadership development. ‘Ah’, you say, ‘part of a focus on female development?’ Yes, but her performance speaks for itself – she is the #1 performer in the business globally, irrespective of gender.

So, is my client shattering the glass ceiling because of a conscious effort by her employer to increase their percentage of senior females – or simply because she’s great at her job?

Of course, things are not always this simple. There are plenty of examples demonstrating that the world of business can still be a fundamentally patriarchal place. Sometimes these are as overt as the still-common practice of specifying a required age range, marital status, or gender in vacancy adverts in Asia, other times more subtle behavior such as the perpetuation of business golf days and other affinity groups which enable males to talk business in exclusive group environments.

However, despite these outdated practices, it is encouraging to see that in the majority of cases, it is the individual approach of a female professional which determines her level of success.

I have another coaching client who is the CTO of a US-based global life sciences company. She was promoted from the position of lab director to VP of Research & Development – putting her in charge of three, male fellow lab directors. This could have resulted in conflict but her confidence in her own ability, coupled with high levels of emotional intelligence, allowed her to build the trust and support of her former colleagues. Her performance is outstanding and she’s set for further promotions.
She is the mother of two teenagers and, crucially, has a strong support network in the shape of her partner (who also works) and family which allows her to balance global travel and business commitments with time with her family. She also takes good care of herself and her relationship – seeing all of the parts of her life as having equal value.

Her self-belief plays a major part in her professional success.

Twenty years of experience as a global leadership coach has taught me that those women who have well-placed confidence in their own potential and value tend to achieve their goals – and in many cases surpass them by some distance. My suggestions for ambitious, female would-be leaders, are to:

1. Be authentic. Know who you are and what you’re capable of. If you’re a family-oriented person as well as a talented professional, be proud of it, it’s part of what makes you great at what you do

2. Do your best work – so that your employer judges you on performance, not gender.

3. Bring people along with you – at work and at home so that you build support around you. It’s important to find a life partner that supports you, not suppresses you.

4. Live with your choices. Don’t beat yourself up! Ignore society’s opinions and focus on being who you are at your best.

5. Don’t settle. Value yourself and what you have to offer and fight to achieve it – whether it’s a coveted role, being heard or landing a pay raise.

And remember: the glass ceiling is only there if you choose to see it.

Leadership is knowing how to ask

If there is ever an opportunity to add in an eighth deadly sin, then I am putting my hand up to nominate “assumption”.

In my experience, assumption is already the #1 business sin; the destroyer of deals, the terrorizer of team dynamics – yet it continues to pervade businesses the world over and therefore ought to be at the very top of the list of behaviors to be coached and trained out of talented professionals.

One area in which assumption can most visibly rear its ugly head is in the coming together of different cultures and generations in a global team. In a global team you might find a Beijing-based ‘Baby Boomer’ – the generation which takes its name from the post-World War II population increase in the West – working, either virtually or physically, alongside a Parisian teammate from Generation Y – with both of them reporting into a newly-promoted Generation X-er from New York State.

Although the varied skills and experiences of global teams can make for a vibrant and highly capable business unit; bringing together different ages, different upbringings and different sociological influences can also conspire to create a team that finds it hard to understand each other. This is something I call ‘diversity tension’ in my book Global Leadership: The Next Generation.

I often find myself speaking on the subject of ‘appreciating diversity’ – which is the natural antidote to diversity tension – and the need to take a deeper look at the actions of the people you are working with.

At one recent global conference, I was giving a keynote on how to build a global coaching culture. I was sharing the typical characteristics of different generations of employees and remarking on how different generations are often unable to appreciate the positives of each other and how important it is to understand and value colleagues of different generations for their contributions – however different to your own.

I was considering the impact that upbringing has on Generation X and Y employees compared to their parents in the Baby Boomer generation. Although, in many respects, the emerging generations are perhaps more naturally suited to global leadership, due to the impact of technology on their awareness of other cultures, music, news, and lifestyles; different cultural forces in their upbringing still create differences in working style that the global leader must take the time to understand.

For example, during the speech, I talked about the impact that China’s one-child policy has had on a generation of employees. Known as ‘Little Emperors and Empresses”, what impact does the focused attention and resources they have enjoyed from their parents and grandparents mean for them as employees? Does it make them individualistic? Or does it make them privileged with expectations that can’t be met?

During a break in the conference, a young Chinese delegate came up to talk to me. She argued that yes, she and her generation were privileged but this focus of attention came with an equal pressure of responsibility, with no siblings to share it with. “We can’t fail, we are expected to live out our parent’s expectations of us,” she said. Compare this to the typical characteristics of a Generation Y worker in Western society who is perhaps more focused on work-life balance and you can see how a global leader with a diverse team will have to figure out two completely different ways of hiring, motivating, and rewarding two members of the same generation!

Each generation and culture has something unique to offer and different ways of tackling challenges. Yet it is all too easy for each generation or culture to assume that they are the best and others are less effective.

I was teaching an Executive education class at a leading university recently and I asked the delegates to group themselves into their respective generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.

I asked each group what was important to them, what they felt they had to offer, and, perhaps most importantly, what they wished other generations could appreciate about them and what they needed to be successful.

What was most striking about their responses was that, among the differences in working styles and approaches, there was a common need to be understood and respected. Each group felt there were too many assumptions made about their generation: ‘baby boomers are out of touch,’ ‘the younger generation is lazy and too informal’ were comments they often heard.

Talented global leaders, with diverse teams, avoid making these broad assumptions and are intrigued by different perspectives, rather than threatened by them. They are also proactive in rooting out unhelpful assumptions held by others.

In the second part of my 100 Success Factors for Global Leaders, here are some key points to consider:

1. Take advantage of any opportunity to work within the rich tapestry of global cultures, generations, and traditions that create your business landscape.
2. Listen to all points of view in your team, no matter how apparently different they seem from your own.
3. Remain open and curious about how other people think and operate.
4. Actively explore the differences between team members in order to increase understanding and strengthen working relationships, rather than letting them inhibit progress.
5. Make asking, rather than telling, your leadership style. Ask questions, ask for information, ask for ideas – and ask for feedback.

As the internationally-renowned business thinker Peter Drucker put it: “The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.”

By taking this open, curious approach, any diversity tension you find in your team will quickly dissipate – creating a powerful and truly global dynamic within the business that can deliver a tangible, commercial edge for you and your team.

How to Have Executive Presence While Staying True to Yourself

Passion and enthusiasm often fail to translate effectively in settings that call for authority, clarity, and confidence.

Jessica didn’t want to lose the qualities that make her an outstanding leader.

A senior leader in the nonprofit sector, Jessica is passionate about her job. She is well-loved by her team and colleagues, who point to her commitment to her organization’s mission and her ability to inspire and motivate others. They say she excels at mentoring her team and building collaborative relationships.

But Jessica’s passion and enthusiasm often fail to translate effectively in settings that call for her to show up with authority, clarity, and confidence–settings that call for executive presence. Her role requires her to advocate for funding and resources for her organization. In these settings, she sometimes comes across as too chatty and informal, getting carried away with details and missing big-picture key messages. She also gives her team so many public accolades for their contributions that others are left unclear about hers.

This feedback was not new to Jessica.

“I’ve heard this all before,” she said in a recent coaching session. “They want me to be someone else — act calmer, don’t talk with my hands. But that’s not who I am. I’m passionate!”

Jessica was afraid that showing up with executive presence meant becoming bland, passionless, and dry. She thought it meant losing the qualities that have made her successful in her career.

I encouraged Jessica to reframe her views on executive leadership. An effective leader is adaptable. They maintain their core values but can pivot to different audiences and environments. They honor the environment they’re in while staying true to their authenticity and integrity.

Jessica laughed.

“I was just having this conversation with my husband,” she said. “If I go to a fast food restaurant with the kids versus a date night with my husband, I’m still the same person! I just behave differently to fit into each environment.”

The light bulb had gone off.

“When I’m working from home and having one-on-one meetings with my staff, that’s different from when I’m presenting to stakeholders to get funding for my programs. I have to know my audience and honor that,” she said.

Jessica realized she can have an executive presence while staying true to who she is. Here are the strategies that helped her do that.

Think strategically about your message and tailor it to your audience
Jessica often has 10 minutes to present her organization’s mission to high-profile decision-makers. In those cases, she must streamline her message, getting to the point with big-picture context and relevant, supporting data. Other times, she needs to brief cross-functional teams on collaborative projects. In those instances, granular, technical detail is appropriate. Ask yourself, who is my audience, and what do they need from me? Be clear about the purpose of your communication.

Think about how you want to show up
Jessica is personable, outgoing, and charming, qualities that win her instant fans in her organization. In formal settings, however, those qualities have cost her authority and credibility. Think about how you need to show up to be most effective. Your demeanor during a one-on-one with a trusted colleague will be different from how you show up when presenting to senior leaders.

Take the time to prepare
Jessica didn’t always prepare for presentations, trusting that she would be able to answer questions on the spot. Inevitably, she’d be asked about something she didn’t think through beforehand and would lose credibility when she wasn’t able to answer. She learned to prepare thoroughly, anticipating questions and knowing her message inside and out. She delegated to her staff to provide her with the information she needed, allowing them to contribute while ensuring she came across as the authoritative voice in the room.

Stay on script
When leaders are passionate about their organizations, it can be easy to get sidetracked with interesting yet irrelevant stories and details. Ask yourself, what is my goal for this meeting or presentation? How much time do I have to present? How can I accomplish that goal in that time? Use those answers to craft your presentation, and then practice staying on script.

Focus your passion
Jessica worried that strengthening her executive presence would mean dimming the passion she has for her organization. But many of her habits–friendly chitchat, going off-script, and spending too much time on technical details–would dilute her message and, ultimately, hold her back from reaching crucial goals for the organization. She practiced channeling her enthusiasm into a focused, succinct message, which she could still deliver with the passion that is authentic to her. She discovered that with focus, her passion is much more impactful.

Impactful leaders balance their passion with the needs of their audience, adapting to different environments while maintaining their authenticity. Practice these strategies and you can have an executive presence while staying true to who you are.

Are You a Global Thinker?

Creating the mindset for outstanding global leadership

You would think that with the financial havoc caused by the 2008 economic meltdown, most companies would think twice about expanding into new markets. Ironically, just the opposite was true. Many companies looked at emerging markets like China and Russia as opportunities to broaden their consumer base, and the rise of online commerce and social media gave them a window to reach customers in ways that weren’t possible in the past.

And yet, just having access to your customers doesn’t guarantee success. Reaching those customers requires a distinctly different skill set, one that requires cultural agility and an ability to adapt quickly to market behavior.

Here are five key steps to becoming an effective global thinker:

1. Understand your company’s global strategy and ambitions

Go back to basics: ensure you understand not only what your company’s objectives are from a global operations standpoint, but, importantly, how your role fits into this vision.

Too often, leaders become immersed in the day-to-day demands without having an opportunity to fully explore what they are there to achieve or truly understand the different markets of importance to the business.

Much like climbing a mountain; when you are at ground level you cannot see farther than, perhaps, fifty feet; but as you get higher you can see more and more. By elevating your thinking, you will be able to see the forest through the trees, and spot storms approaching or others encroaching on your territory.

2. Embrace a global mindset

When moving from a local role into a global one it’s natural to look for opportunities to apply your previous knowledge and experience to the new environment.

For the newly promoted global leader, this won’t work. It’s essential that global leaders mark their new appointment with a fresh approach; a new, global mindset.

Embracing a global mindset involves opening up the way you see the world and how this knowledge affects your actions. The global thinker adapts their behavior and decision-making to the realities of the global marketplace and doesn’t expect each market to fit within their existing model of how things should be done or have been done before.

3. Get out there! Gain global experience and exposure

Global thinkers are relentlessly curious about what the world is like for others, devouring global business news and volunteering for opportunities to broaden their experience.

The Chinese proverb about the frog who lives at the bottom of a well is a perfect example. He looks up and all he sees are walls and a small circle in the sky. As he never leaves the well that is his perspective of the world and he believes that is how it is for everyone.

One of my clients Wendy is a rising star. She was recently promoted to an executive role in a global retailer. Her development goal was to gain global experience and exposure. I suggested that she not only sit in global meetings but also actively participate in them to increase her profile and understanding. I also suggested that she expand her network, and build alliances with other organizations and individuals for the benefit of the business. Within six months, she became an internal go-to person for shaping business strategy. She built strong partnerships and as a result, her division became the #1 profit center worldwide.

4. Build a support system to sharpen global thinking

Effective global thinkers are connected to a powerful support network that informs and adds perspective to their decision-making. They access information and are open to feedback from their teams, peers, superiors, and mentors, using feedback to help them develop.

Build a strong team around you that can manage the day-to-day operations, so you can focus on broader, strategic global challenges. The support network should also provide you with the resources you need to be truly effective in the global decisions you make.

5. Help others to think globally too

Harness your global thinking by sharing your expertise and knowledge with your colleagues and partners, particularly your team. Equip them to think beyond their own territory or area of responsibility and in doing so help to build their ability to think globally.

Modern leadership is all about inspiring others. In my experience the most effective global leaders are those who share their knowledge willingly, inspiring others to follow where they lead.

Communicate relentlessly and encourage dialogue and resource-sharing, using technology to maximum advantage. The workplace is now highly effective on a virtual basis; with file sharing, webinars, Skype, Zoom, and other online tools enabling close collaboration amongst colleagues who may meet in the real world only a handful of times each year, if at all.

The Hidden Downside to Winning

Resolving conflict isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach

Alan came to me with a simple question: How can I influence people?

Alan works in procurement for his company and had been recently promoted to a director role. This new role requires managing budgets across the organization, and he was running into some challenges.

“I have KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and deliverables. I have to influence people to help me reach what I need to accomplish,” he said.

His goals are often at odds with others’ goals, and he wants to be able to push back, negotiate, and “win.” As it stands, he was running into conflict, wasn’t winning as much as he’d like, and wasn’t making many friends, either.

I encouraged Alan to think more broadly and include his long-term goals at his organization in his thinking. Was his approach to conflict resolution serving those goals? Could other approaches better serve his needs – and those of his colleagues?

We started answering those questions by examining a different, more nuanced way to look at conflict: the ​​Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model.

Five ways to approach conflict

The ​​Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model invites leaders to think about approaches to conflict on an X-Y axis, with “assertive” on one side, and “cooperative” on the other. Some approaches — like “avoiding” – are unassertive and uncooperative, and result in a lose/lose for both parties because no action is taken. Others, like “collaborating,” are both highly assertive and highly cooperative, and deliver win/win results for both parties. “Compromising” is both mid-assertive and mid-cooperative, and leads to a yield/yield result, meaning both sides lose a bit in order to achieve resolution.

There are five approaches total in the model: competing, avoiding, compromising, collaborating, and accommodating. One approach is not superior to the others. They each fulfill different needs.

I asked Alan to consider his approach to conflict in his new role. He was approaching every interaction with a “competing” mindset, which is high on assertiveness and low on cooperation. This is an “I win/You lose” approach. He tries to win every conflict, but is it the right approach for every interaction?

He smiled broadly. “I’m having an ‘aha!’ moment,” he said.

“No wonder I’m having all these interpersonal problems and people don’t want to talk to me,” Alan realized. “I’m thinking I need to influence them, but in reality, I’m just trying to compete. I end up winning but losing a lot.”

No more one-size-fits-all approach

As we explored the characteristics of each approach in the model, Alan realized his role requires nuance. Some situations may benefit from an accommodating approach, which is high on cooperation, but low on assertiveness, with an “I lose/you win” result. It’s useful in situations in which the other person’s goals are more important to them than yours are to you. It helps preserve harmony and build trust.

“Some of the things I’m fighting for aren’t really that important,” Alan said. “Sometimes I should just avoid them because it’s just not worth it.”

The collaborating approach may require more effort, but it results in an integrative solution, incorporating others’ concerns into a consensual decision. If Alan is looking to build positive, long-term relationships across his organization, collaborating may be a smart choice.

Alan also realized that his default competing approach isn’t wrong, it’s just not right all the time. He may need to employ the approach when having to take quick, decisive action, for example.

Results-driven leaders often believe achieving their goals should be a top priority, and, like Alan, that winning matters most, no matter the long-term impact. But, effective leadership requires thought, care, and consideration. When encountering conflict, measure your needs against others’ and consider the long-term impact on the relationship. Choose your approach thoughtfully, and don’t just focus on winning. That’s how leaders can have real influence.

This article was originally posted on Inc.com