How cultural norms shape how we 'show up' at workplace- why managers should know it

Continuing from my last post on how cross-cultural values can confuse both team members and managers, we explored how cultural norms shape how we “show up”.

Looking at the flip side:

A manager’s well-meaning nudge—“You need to speak up more”—can leave a team member confused or even anxious if their cultural background equates humility with strength. To them, this may feel like being asked to brag, something they have actively learnt to be a 'put off' in interactions.

Similarly, a direct piece of feedback may feel offensive to someone who comes from a culture that wraps critique in context—or may fall flat when "positive-negative-positive" feedback is interpreted as insincere. Erin Meyer illustrates this powerfully in The Culture Map, if you have a chance to read. 

When a manager takes on the responsibility to lead a team productively, they are—perhaps unwittingly—also taking on the role of using a cultural lens to understand and leverage the strengths of each team member - recognizing that leadership potential, communication styles, and decision-making instincts may look very different depending on background.

That means:

- Creating space for open dialogue

- Being intentional about how participation is invited

- Offering challenging opportunities equitably

- And, perhaps most importantly, not making assumptions

So, how can coaching help?

Coaching offers a space to decode how you’re being perceived as a manager—and to reflect on whether that aligns with how you intend to lead.

It helps you suss out the shifts needed to show up in ways that feel both authentic and effective.

A coach can draw on tools like 360 feedback, cultural lens mapping, or perception-based assessments to help you decode and reconstruct your leadership presence—in a way that works across cultures, not against them.

In multicultural teams, cultural intelligence isn’t optional—it’s a leadership advantage.