Being a leader in a foreign country: why it feels harder than expected

Hello,

First, a warm welcome to the 12 new subscribers who joined us last week!

In this newsletter, we talk about career coaching, personal development, and leadership in an expat environment. (scroll down to the end- I’ve got a special bonus for you this month!…)
And when I say expat, I mean anyone who is living abroad now, has lived abroad before, or is about to take the leap.

With a package or without one? - It absolutely doesn’t matter!

Being an expat simply means being away from your native country

=> Ok, so being a leader is hard.
But being a leader in a foreign country is a whole different level.

Very often, your leadership worked well in the past. You had your codes, your references, your confidence. And then suddenly, you’re leading a multicultural team, in a different country, … and it feels like you’ve lost all your power.

Let me give you my personal experience

I went from a Western style of leadership in 2008, to an Asian one in 2010. And later, adjusting again in 2018 to an Australian style of leadership was another complete shift. If I’m honest, some of my biggest moments of doubt as a leader came from these transitions. I felt like I had completely lost the rules of the game. Building trust was harder. Communication felt so awkward. Things that used to work… didn’t anymore.

You may notice that

👉You’re no longer seen as a leader by your peers or your managers.

👉Your team communicates less.

👉Feedback disappears.

👉Trust feels fragile.

👉Your leadership style doesn’t seem to resonate with the local culture, and adapting costs you a huge amount of energy.

👉You work harder, but your impact, influence, and authority feel weaker.

What’s really at stake is TRUST.

And very often, what’s missing is not competence, confidence, or effort, it’s CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE

One of the biggest traps for expat leaders, especially those trained in Western environments, is assuming that good leadership is universal. Western leadership models value autonomy, empowerment, openness, and authenticity. Yet global research shows that around 70% of the world’s workforce operates in collectivist and hierarchical cultures. In many places, people don’t expect to be asked for their opinion openly, don’t feel comfortable challenging authority, and don’t see autonomy as motivating in the same way.

Giving people too much freedom, too quickly, can backfire. Asking everyone to “speak up” may sound empowering to you, but threatening to others.

Here’s how to handle it:

1. Adapt your communication
   What feels clear or open to you may feel abrupt or uncomfortable to others : adjust how you speak, and be transparent - people appreciate vulnerable leaders.  

2. Rebuild trust before expecting feedback
   If trust isn’t there yet, people won’t speak up; focus first on consistency and reliability. Do what you say, and explain what you do

3. Adjust your leadership expectations
   Not everyone wants the same level of autonomy or visibility : leadership must flex to the local culture.

This is why leadership as an expat often feels harder than expected.
Not because you’ve become a worse leader, but because the tools that used to work are no longer sufficient.

You need a bigger toolbox.
You need flexibility.
You need cultural intelligence.

Before you close this email, I’d like to leave you with a short reflection:

👉 Think about one leadership situation where things feel harder than they used to.
Ask yourself: Am I missing skills… or am I missing cultural context?

I’d love for you to sit with that.

Exclusive offer for this month only ! 👇

Feeling stuck or questioning your career? Do you feel you are at the end of a cycle or you need to be more intentional about your career?

Until January 30th only, I’m offering a free personalized session to explore how career coaching could help you move forward.

Curious? Register now →

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See you next week,
Stephanie