How Effective Leaders Communicate Across Cultures Effective leadership communication across cultures and languages is possible, but it requires time and effort. Deep listening and building your team of advisors are key.

I often encounter talented professionals, who have all the traits and skills to lead effectively, who tell me that working with people from a different culture, and frequently in a foreign language, is a key obstacle to their success. I get it. I have spent most of my professional career outside my native country of Argentina, and I support both Spanish- and English-speaking leaders as a communications specialist. But in our globalizing world, professionals need to be ready to communicate with people whose native language and culture is different from their own.

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Even professionals who have achieved a substantial level of fluency in the relevant foreign language may still lack confidence in their ability to be understood or to be taken seriously. They're afraid of accidentally offending someone, misinterpreting or misusing colloquial terms and phrases, or sounding out of touch.