
INdependence & INTERdependence.
As America celebrates its freedom and independence this week, I’m thinking about two closely related words: INdependence & INTERdependence.
|| In the West, we place a priority on INdependence. We have a lean toward concepts built on the premise that I can create the future and the freedoms that I want. My success is built on my dedication and my effort. I feel my own lean towards this independence-focused outlook.
|| In contrast, much of the rest of the world has a greater focus on INTERdependence. “We’ll go together'' versus “I’ll go by myself.” A commonly quoted African proverb paints a picture of this concept, “If you want to go FAST, go alone. If you want to go FAR, go together.”
|| A great book that I am using as a roadmap for my coaching partnerships is “Dancing Between Cultures” by Tina Stotlzfust Horst. This book, while focusing on coaching connections inter-culturally, has great application in many areas of leadership. The author describes this US/ME tension as a “cultural value difference.” One of the biggest gaps between cultures is in the cultural values of Autonomy and Community. Often cultural frustration occurs when trying to make connections between the worlds of “ME” (independent) and “US” (interdependent). In this book, Horst, paints the dynamic of this, and a dozen other cultural values, by way of a continuum. Picture a sliding scale, where you place a mark on which way you lean in this value. Neither is “correct.” And understanding both your location on this value scale and the location of your target culture is a first step on the roadmap of developing long-term cultural connections.
|| Maintaining cultural connections is hard work. Many flex their INdependence muscles to just “go it alone.” This often leads to frustration, burnout, and isolation. Coaching conversations are great environments to explore and discover the realities of INTERdependence, truly going farther with another. As a coach, I promote a life-posture of leaning forward in life and leadership, especially in cross-cultural contexts.
If you're curious about cultural values and the critical role they play in maintaining long-term cross-cultural connections, connect with me online at coacheric.me Here you’ll find the Roadmap I’ve developed to help leaders make cross-cultural connections with Clarity, Confidence, and Consistency. You can even book a FREE Curiosity call on my Calendar.
[photo cred. unsplash.com]
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