Joy Chen (陈愉)

Step 1 to adapting is self-awareness: recognizing the strengths and potential blind spots of our own leadership styles. For example, Western cultures prioritize individualism, which fosters confidence, optimism, and entrepreneurialism. However, this can lead to unconscious power struggles where the loudest voices "win," silencing other potentially transformative voices. To grow our cultural self-awareness, we need to go beyond celebrating cultural customs to deeply understand the values and norms of others on our team. For more on this, check out my new Harvard Business Review article: https://hbr.org/2024/06/stop-overlooking-the-leadership-potential-of-asian-employees?ab=HP-hero-latest-text-1&giftToken=1014223011717456182146

To ensure feedback is effective, be sure to consider any cultural differences. For example, in the U.S., the "sandwich" method is common—praise (bread), constructive criticism (meat), perhaps followed by more praise (bread). Germans often prefer direct feedback (just the meat), seeing the initial praise as insincere. In contrast, Japanese culture values indirect feedback to maintain respect and harmony. By recognizing cultural norms, you can better deliver feedback that's both respectful and effective. Just don't forget: each person is unique, and may not fully embrace the norms of their cultures.

As Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, I learned that having great content is not enough. Your tone really matters. And a fast and easy way to pull people into your orbit is to ENERGIZE, which is to spread contagious positive energy. Energizers are like the sun. They make people feel inspired and connected. That’s why they’re magnets for recruiters and for new opportunities! So, anytime you’re interviewing for a job -- or public speaking -- why not give folks a burst of contagious positive energy? 🌞

Work at intersections because: 1. Less competition I work at the intersections of leadership training and inclusion, and the U.S. and Asia: I help companies develop more effective global leaders. That lets me be a big player in a small pond. 2. Big opportunities await As long as humans have been around, we’ve deepened our understanding of the world. Knowledge has progressed such that tomorrow’s action will be at the intersections: robotics and human anatomy; technology and everything. 3. You can spark new opportunities As I’ve found, when you connect fields your own way, you’ll set off fresh new chains of events. And because they were sparked by your passions and experiences, the opportunities that arise may be perfect for you.

Often on teams there’s a tendency toward unconscious power struggles where the loudest voices “win,” and other voices become silenced and demotivated. If you've ever held a minority viewpoint on a team, then you may know what I'm talking about! Such silencing dynamics can stifle introverts and all others who offer alternative viewpoints. To counter silos and groupthink, leaders must design team processes that underscore the interdependence of the team and the importance of every voice on the team. By doing this, we can shift teams from being dominated by the most assertive voices to ones where diversity can lead to innovation.

Before I meet someone, I pause to think, “I wish for this person to be happy.”   I find this little step takes my attention off my own agenda, so I can be in the moment and focus on how they see the world, what they want, and how I can create a mutual win.   And doing this spreads contagious positive energy. What usually happens is the other person sends positive energy back to me, and we can move our partnership forward more quickly and smoothly.   BTW, people have sensitive BS-meters, so for this to work, I have to really mean it!