With so many globally distributed teams, leading from afar has its challenges.

But so does moving there to lead in person. Uprooting yourself. Living abroad for work—diving into another country and culture, brings its own struggles. What do they have in common?

I reached out to Liesbeth van der Linden who is originally from the Netherlands, but has lived and worked in Germany, Belgium, China and is now based in Hong Kong. Liesbeth supports global leaders, helping them to succeed when everything around them is new and unfamiliar. Here’s this week’s micro-interview:

JB: What are the biggest obstacles and pressures that executives face when they first land in a new country, to take on a new job and new team?

LV: Often leaders put pressure on themselves to want to ‘perform’ immediately. They feel the need to make an impact in the first 100 days.

They know that the company invests a lot in moving them and their families abroad and so they want to prove themselves as soon as possible.

So leaders are often impatient, and try to implement ‘what worked before’ in a new cultural context. They quickly discover that the old playbook isn’t working.

…you need those local colleagues to tell you what is impossible for you to see, or hear, as a foreigner.

It just takes time for your new team to put their trust in you and get on board with your vision. That trust is so important. Because you need those local colleagues to tell you what is impossible for you to see, or hear, as a foreigner.

Aside from the challenges at work, their personal lives also need time to settle down; belongings arriving months later, spouses may not be allowed to work, kids having to settle in, regulatory challenges, language barriers, no social network to help out, no family and friends around to share in your new life.

JB: What can leaders who now oversee globally distributed teams learn from those who’ve actually moved to new countries to lead in person? 

LV: Simply be open and curious to really different ways of working and communicating.

JB: What have you learned as their confidant and advisor? What do they most want and need coaching on? 

LV: There are some common themes I work on with people overseeing global teams:

• Conflict Handling

• Letting go of ‘control’

• Being comfortable in ambiguity

• Leading change in an unfamiliar environment

There is also intellectual loneliness—caught between head office “not understanding the cultural landscape” and the local organization “not getting the corporate vision.”

JB: So there’s many parallels between leading virtual, distributed teams and moving countries to lead in person.

LV: Ultimately, all leaders need to invest time in building relationships and really get to know people on a personal level. Accept that you are never in complete control, but earning trust will give you more influence to get things done.

Previous Micro-Interviews:

• How has the pandemic impacted emerging leaders?

• What does a top executive recruiter think about asking questions?

• Treat Former Employees as Alumni, so they’ll Return