For each Discussion, you are responsible for two parts. Be sure to POST YOUR RESPONSE TO YOUR GROUP DISCUSSION topic, and also,please COMMENT ON ANOTHER STUDENT POST by bringing something new to theconversation (another perspective, disagree, other facts, anotherconcept, different company, etc.). Please avoid posting a simpleagreement or compliment, and reply with a well thought out comment.

Group #1 Discussion Topic:

Leadership Lessons Learned through International Experiences(LO 4.1)

Robert W. Selander, former presidentand CEO of MasterCard, was asked, “What are the most importantleadership lessons you have learned?” He responded by describing hisinternational experience:

I spent a reasonable amount of timeliving overseas. So relatively early in my career I moved first to SanJuan, then to Rio, then to London, then to Belgium, running businessesin those markets. Pretty early on, I recognized that more is the samethan is different—fundamental values, wanting to give your children moreopportunity or at least as much as you had in life, etc. It’s presentall around the world, and that happens to be true in a lot of aspects ofbusiness as well. More is the same than is different, but we tend tofocus on differences, and perhaps exaggerate or accentuate those beyondthe reality of what we have to worry about. I can remember when I movedto Brazil and I had spent two years learning Spanish. I was out visitingbranches. I was working for Citibank at the time and had responsibilityfor consumer businesses there. Brazil is a big country. I was living inRio and it’s like living in Miami. I was out visiting a branch in theequivalent of Denver. Not everybody spoke great English and I hadn’tgotten very far in Portuguese. As I was sitting there trying to discernand understand what this branch manager was saying to me, and he wasstruggling with his English, the coin sort of dropped that this guyreally knows what he’s talking about. He’s having a hard time getting itout. As I thought about the places I’d been on that trip, I realizedthis was probably the best branch manager I’d seen, but it would havebeen very easy for me to think he wasn’t, because he couldn’tcommunicate as well as some of the others who were fluent in English. Ithink that was an important lesson. It is too easy to let the personwith great presentation or language skills buffalo you into thinkingthat they are better or more knowledgeable than someone else who mightnot necessarily have that particular set of skills. So that wassomething that sounds obvious in hindsight, but as I was sitting there,boy, for me this was a thunderbolt. I think that’s another thing thatsort of served me well, not letting the veneer distract you from thesubstance.⁶⁴

Based on Selander’s comments and your own experiences, respond to the following questions:

1. In what ways might you misjudge the competence of others based on language skills?
2. What are several strategies to overcoming language barriers?
3. How can you improve your ability to be a good listener for those with limited English abilities?

OR

Interview a Professional with International Experience (LO 4.1, LO 4.2, LO 4.3)

Interview someone you know who hasworked extensively with members of other cultures. Spend an hour or twoasking this person about his/her experiences. Report what this personhad to say about five of the following ten areas:

• Etiquette.
• Preferred communication channels.
• Working in teams.
• Conducting meetings.
• Approaches to resolving differences of opinion.
• Negotiation style.
• Cultural values and norms.
• Adjusting to living in another country.
• Approaching conflicts or disagreements.
• Persuasion.