Unilever Singapore General Manager Banjo Castillo is a native of The Philippines who recognised the cultural nuances that proved challenging to upward mobility within a large Western MNC and addressed them by pushing himself to gain international experience and adjust, where necessary, to develop a functional leadership style of his own.
Asian markets will, in aggregate, contribute the largest share of global GDP by 2030, with some of the fastest growing countries represented in Southeast Asia. Many MNCs have made these surging Asian economies a central focus of their strategy over the past decade as growth in more developed nations plateaued. MNCs have rightfully recognised the importance of elevating more Asians to senior management to craft regional strategy, but these posts continue to be occupied in large measure by expats from the US and the EU, with only a small percentage being filled by local executives. Many blame cultural hindrances like deference to authority, an unwillingness to challenge the status quo and an aversion to self-promotion that run counter to the directness and aggressiveness associated with corporate leadership in Western culture.
An extensive study by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) has explored the underlying reasons for this apparent “bamboo ceiling“ in large global MNCs: in US-headquartered companies, only 8% of top managers were born in Asia, half of those of Indian origin; among companies based in the EU, local leadership represents a mere 2%, with Indian nationals representing the vast majority. While the reasons for this phenomenon are varied and complex, cultural hardwiring has been identified by the CCL as one of the factors.
To counter these perceptions, Asians must learn to adapt their leadership style. At the same time, global leadership needs to be redefined and Western organisations must recognise the richness and diversity that Asians can contribute.
Banjo Castillo has held various global, regional and national positions and worked as an executive leader in multiple geographies, including North and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Russia. Well-respected by his colleagues for his sharp strategy and execution skills, his “universal” leadership has been acknowledged by colleagues of several different nationalities. Castillo’s experience suggests the culture of his home country hasn’t been a limitation.
Pushing Back
Castillo described himself as “more direct” than most Filipinos and noted that many North Asians and Southeast Asians back off “when their ideas and positions are challenged”. “Westerners are not being rude when they challenge ideas; they just want to get to the crux of an issue and come up with the best solution. If you keep quiet, people won’t hear your ideas. You do not get to show how good you are,” he reasoned.
Castillo suggested cultural conditioning predisposes Southeast Asians to withdraw from confrontation and debate. “In the Philippines, for instance, if you challenge others in a group, some of your colleagues may playfully kid you about grandstanding,” he said. “This good-natured ribbing might be interpreted as implicit disapproval for daring to be different and threatening group harmony,” he added. The hierarchical culture in many Asian countries does not help. Subordinates are expected to be respectful and a traditional Asian boss thinks that young subordinates “have a lot of rice to eat” before they can stand toe-to-toe with their superior. Contradicting persons in positions of authority is not generally encouraged in North and Southeast Asian cultures.
Inferiority, Timidity and Fatalism
Overcoming the ingrained sense of inferiority shared collectively by people who were colonised by Westerners compounds the effect of a hierarchical culture and can also prove challenging.
“Filipino education is not inferior in any way. Any inferiority an Asian may initially feel quickly evaporates when you get to the global workplace and realise you can excel. The difference really is that sometimes we are not assertive enough because we were raised differently,” Castillo noted.
A lack of assertiveness can impede upward mobility within multinational organisations. Peers of other nationalities might fight for promotions and express their belief that they deserve to be promoted because they are prepared for it and have a good track record. In contrast, some Asians will keep quiet and swallow their disappointment, because someone who does otherwise would, in their native culture, be perceived to be overly aggressive and “thick-faced.” There is also an ingrained sense of fatalism in many Asian cultures that leads many to live under the premise that, “it will be yours if it is your destiny.” That attitude can be an impediment in the context of a multinational corporation where aggressive networking and competing relentlessly are required to get ahead.