Katrien Nuyts, Professor, Antwerp Management School

[Katrien Nuyts Member]

Some people change when they ‘see the light’; others when they ‘feel the heat’. Confronting Jeffry (without letting him ‘lose face’ in public) with the fact that this situation is not sustainable, nor beneficial to the business, could trigger a desire to change. His reaching out for help, asking Claus for advice, is a positive start. Leadership coaching might provide support during this journey. Supporting Jeffrey to understanding the importance of integrating intercultural differences may motivate him to try out new approaches. He needs to understand how this is not about making zero-sum choices (“please either German or Singaporean staff”) but about accepting differences as added value instead, and leverage them towards building synergies. Also opening up to new ways of thinking about (shared) leadership may create room for experiment. We are not our behaviour, as we can change it at all times. While we try something new, we do not lose our identity. Inviting Jeffrey to see his job as a multitude of roles and his identity as a multitude of possible selves, approachable in a playful way, may create space to explore potential (future) selves. Experimenting with new behaviors may help Jeffry evolve into the leader he claims to be.

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