Business Quote by Sherwood Fleming
““Intercultural business contexts force us to be more self-aware and to rely on words more than we do in our native cultures.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Business Leadership Podcast, 2023
Working across cultures makes us examine our own assumptions and depend more on explicit language than implicit cultural cues.
In simple terms: Cross‑cultural work heightens self‑awareness and explicit communication.
Key Takeaway
Practice clear, mindful communication in diverse teams.
Themes
communication
self‑awareness
culture
leadership
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
advice
insightful
When to use this quote
- global project meetings
- multinational negotiations
- remote cross‑border collaborations
Key Concepts
intercultural competence
mindfulness
language precision
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you check that your language is understood as intended?
- What habits help you stay self‑aware in diverse settings?
A Different Perspective
Relying on words can still miss non‑verbal nuances; cultural differences may cause misunderstandings.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)