At a recent online meeting, someone showed this mug and we all laughed.

Of course, everybody knows the Germans have no humor, the same way the French are all arrogant or the English all drink tea at 5 pm.

But wait! How much of this is real vs. cultural clichés that we all take some responsibilities for spreading? And I am not even touching on gender stereotypes here.

As a leader, it is key to recognize that these stereotypes exist and be prepared to counter them. Otherwise, falling prey to them too often may seriously disrupt your leadership effectiveness.

I have 3 suggestions to get better at this:

1. Read, learn all you can about cultural differences, other countries.

2. Interact with people on your team who are from different cultures and learn from them what value they add to your team by providing different perspectives.

3. React swiftly to any comment made that could potentially harm someone on the team. If someone feels hurt, talk to the person and show empathy. Then, make sure you get the issue solved (i.e., in most cases it will involve someone giving an apology or at the very least people talking to each other).

What else have you found valuable to use as a leader to counter cultural clichés? Tell me in the comments.

For comments or questions, please visit my website or contact me at pascal@p-m-coaching.com