The Learning Shift
The Learning Shift Podcast
Culture Is a Leadership Skill, Not an HR Checkbox
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Culture Is a Leadership Skill, Not an HR Checkbox

If you’re still treating cultural awareness like a nice-to-have, you’re already behind. In today’s global work reality, cross-cultural fluency is the leadership edge.

Featured Book:
The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

Big Idea:
The way people communicate, give feedback, and make decisions varies wildly across cultures—and most leaders are missing the cues that matter.

Discussion Beats:

  • Erin Meyer’s framework: What the 8 culture dimensions reveal—and how to spot them in your team

  • How U.S.-style directness can come across as rude—or weak—in other cultural contexts

  • The feedback trap: Why your “constructive” comment may land as an attack

  • Simple ways to flex your leadership style without losing who you are

Summary:
This book is a must-read for any leader working across cultures—or even just across departments. Meyer outlines eight dimensions of culture (like communication style, feedback norms, decision-making approaches) that shape how people show up at work. Through rich examples and clear models, she helps leaders identify blind spots and adapt without losing authenticity. Whether your team is global or just generationally diverse, this book builds fluency in nuance.

Closing Takeaway:
Culture isn’t something you memorize. It’s something you learn to listen for. Start tuning in.

Core message:
Culture isn’t surface-level. It shows up in how we speak, decide, and disagree—and the best leaders learn how to translate, not flatten.

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A quick note on how this content was created: To bring you thoughtful and timely insights, parts of this article were created with the help of AI tools, then reviewed and refined by a human (that's us!). We use technology to support clarity and creativity — but the heart of our content is always guided by experience, learning, and purpose. As always, we encourage you to explore these ideas with curiosity and critical thinking. If something sparks a question or you want to dig deeper, we’re here to keep the conversation going.

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