Has working in different countries shaped your leadership style?

Success does not depend on location

A globe.That's crazy.- Great.

I had the opportunity to work 35 years at L'Oréal in six different countries,and I may share with you some experiences from these countries and cultures now and then.

For me, it was like an adventure through markets and, as I said, through different cultures.

Let's start with Spain, which really was a different story.

In the early '90s, everything was very hierarchical and my management team, when it came to making a decision,said that I, as the boss,had to decide and also find the solution.

And then, there were moments meetings where I'd say:"I'm going to leave now,and I'll be back in ten minutes,and I want you to have reached a decision by then." And at first they hated it.

Only when my time in Spain came to an end,did everyone tell me: "That was the best gift you could have given us.

Teaching us to take responsibility,to reach compromises,and to make decisions as a team." Then came my time in Thailand,and that truly was a completely different culture.

You couldn't show any weakness, or raise your voice,or criticise... in public,not even in front of employees.

You could only do that if your employees trusted you, which you had to earn first.

And after you've experienced that for several months,you can get closer to people and speak with them more openly.

And Thailand... They gave me one piece of advice:"Please open a folder in which you write down things you'll never understand." Because you also have to accept that this happens too in cultures like these.

And that's how I truly managed to let go of certain issues.

I'd write down on a paper what I hadn't understood and never would and put it in the folder.

That helped me.Then I always followed the same procedure,what I call the "firing ritual".

You have to imagine that if a Thai person has a problem,in their culture it's not appropriate to express it openly or tell me directly,otherwise, they'd lose face.

It's just not done.And the problem could be addressed in a concrete and constructive way.

And if I now think of my last stage in Germany,I think what I took from all that time was,perhaps, to treat people with more...

respect, and also with greater...transparency.So yes,I tried not to criticise again in a group or in front of others,that is, to give one-to-one feedback,and in public, to focus strongly on the facts.

I've always relied on the principle:"There's no good news and no bad news, they are only news," so that it was as objective as possible.

And it did help......to create a good atmosphere,also within the management team and with the closest employees.

Rolf, are there also lessons you've taken with you on a personal level regarding your leadership?

Yes, I believe one simply has to open up and allow things to happen,but also not betray oneself,because I believe I can only be a good leader if I stay true to myself,but also with my flaws and my quirks.

So let's call it authenticity.And no matter the country,my inner compass, the one I have for myself,must stay aligned, and that I cannot change.