06/10/2025
As an expat myself, I know the tension all too well: assimilating into a new culture while retaining a strong sense of personal identity and professional leadership.
Over the past month, my work in Singapore, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur brought this into sharp focus.
I was there to carry out research, reconnect with clients, and build new networks. Different contexts, different conversations... yet one theme echoed throughout for so many expat leaders:
How do you lead authentically when cultures, expectations, and pressures keep shifting?
Time and again I see that expat leadership is very little about strategy. It’s about resilience, belonging, and aligning your inner values with your outward leadership.
For those who have led abroad, I’m curious: which proved harder... adapting to the culture, or staying within your integrity? Are the two mutually exclusive?
(A huge and special thanks to Martyn Harrison for hosting, and very many insightful and in-depth conversations, and introducing us to his network).
