In this episode I speak with Dr Rajesh Kumar — an expert in International Business Strategy and Cross-Cultural Management — on the importance of cultural competence in shaping global business success.

Originally from India, Dr Kumar has lived and worked in the United States, U.K., Denmark, France, Finland, Netherlands, and New Zealand. He has developed a deep appreciation and awareness of the importance of the cross-cultural dimension and how it impacts strategy formulation and implementation. He has a Ph.D. degree in International Business from New York University, an MBA from Rutgers University, and a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Delhi. He has published numerous research papers in academic journals and is the coauthor of a book on Doing Business in India which was published by Macmillan in 2005 and International Negotiations in China and India published by Macmillan in 2011. Dr Kumar is also a certified Global Dexterity Trainer and is currently appearing on Leadership Podcasts as a guest where he highlights the importance of managing the cultural dimension for global companies. He also leads training programs for companies engaged in global business.

Rajesh gives some examples of cross cultural mistakes that can be made in business, what we can do about it (hint: it includes building psychological safety), and what it means to be culturally competent. We also discuss curiosity, assumptions and the issue of slowing down, and how all three are linked to cultural openness.

Key highlights:

• When there is an element of exceptionalism, it impacts the ability to learn from others.


• If you're doing business globally, you have to be prepared. Preparation is the key to success.


• A big part of cultural competence is the ability to decode what is going on as opposed to what appears to be going on. What you might see overtly, may not be what's happening internally. There's often a difference.


• People are moving apart with globalisation, rather than coming together. A curious focus on culture helps improve this.


• In international business, you have to look at three important things; culture, history and politics, and the context of the situation.

To connect with Rajesh further head over to LinkedIn, and check out the work he does over on his website.