One of the latest workshops I facilitated was with an international leadership team, composed of members speaking four native languages and collaborating in their shared common language: English, as is typical in the global workforce.
And as I stood in the room, observing the dynamic unfolding before me, one realization struck me: the way to think about intercultural competence has to change!
It’s no longer just about knowing cultural differences—who prefers direct feedback, who values hierarchy, or who prioritizes relationships before business. Those insights are useful, of course, but in today’s hyper-connected, global workplace, something far more important is at play.
The Most Important Intercultural Skill Today: Self-Awareness.
During the workshop, a thought kept coming back to me:"I used to think intercultural competence was about studying different cultural norms. But the more I work with global teams, the clearer it becomes—it’s really about understanding myself first."
And that was it. That was the key.
The most impactful intercultural leaders and team players aren’t just those who can list Hofstede’s cultural dimensions or explain The Culture Map’s eight scales (though those are great tools). They are those who:
✔️ Understand their own values, biases, and assumptions.
✔️ Notice how they react under stress or uncertainty.
✔️ Are curious instead of judgmental when things don’t go as expected.
✔️ Adapt their leadership and communication style without losing their authenticity.
Facilitating in Multicultural Teams: Navigating the Inner Work
When I facilitate leadership teams, intercultural complexity is always in the room—but it’s not necessarily the focus. My role in general isn’t to teach "intercultural skills" as a separate topic, but to guide teams through the conversations, strategies, and challenges they need to work on—while naturally navigating the dynamics that emerge. And in international teams, those dynamics are layered.
We tend to think of intercultural competence as something external—understanding how different nationalities communicate, how cultures approach hierarchy, or how leadership styles differ. But in my experience, the biggest challenge isn’t the cultural differences themselves—it’s how we react to them.
Intercultural collaboration brings moments of friction, misunderstanding, or discomfort—not necessarily because someone did something wrong, but because it touches something in us:
🔹 Why does someone’s silence make me uneasy?
🔹 Why do I feel dismissed when someone cuts me off?
🔹 Why does giving direct feedback feel unnatural—or receiving it feel harsh?
In that moment, the real work isn’t about "fixing" cultural differences—it’s about understanding our own response.
From Reacting to Responding: Tools for Self-Awareness in Global Teams
For leaders and teams navigating these moments, there are powerful practices that can support them—if they choose to explore them. While not always a core part of my facilitation, I offer these tools when they’re relevant or requested:
👉 Centering practices – Helping leaders pause, regulate their emotions, and shift from a reactive to a responsive state. This is particularly valuable in multicultural settings, where what feels "normal" to one person might feel disruptive to another.
👉 Active listening techniques – Encouraging leaders to slow down conversations, become more aware of their own emotional responses, and create safe space for voices that may otherwise go unheard—especially in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) settings, where language confidence varies.
👉 Reflection exercises – Helping individuals recognize when they’re feeling triggered by a cultural difference and explore ways to stay engaged, rather than shutting down or reacting defensively.
Intercultural work is not about memorizing do’s and don’ts. It’s about developing the ability to stay present, open, and adaptable in the face of differences—which, ultimately, is what makes teams thrive.
A Career Built on Intercultural Navigation
Maybe my deep passion for this work comes from my own background:
🌏 Raised in Asia and Portugal,
🇩🇪 German parents but no true "German roots"—my German experience only began in university.
💡 Always navigating cultures, identities, and ways of thinking.
It’s why I believe so deeply in this: Intercultural competence is not just about them. It starts with you.
✔️ If you understand your own cultural lens, you can navigate others' more effectively.
✔️ If you practice humility over certainty, you’ll build trust across cultures.
✔️ If you create an environment where everyone feels heard, your team will thrive—no matter how diverse.
Final Thought: The Strength in Our Differences
As I work with global teams, I am reminded daily that our differences are not obstacles—they are our greatest strength.
🔹 Diversity fuels creativity.
🔹 Self-awareness fuels leadership.
🔹 And together, we create teams that don’t just function—but flourish.
💡 What about you? Have you ever had a moment in a multicultural team where you felt irritated, thrown off, or emotionally triggered? How did you handle it? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 🌍✨
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