Leadership beyond Dutch borders: dealing with different cultures in the workplace
He started his career 26 years ago, at Ormit Talent. Today, Jasper van Brakel has a strong, international CV and he’s the CEO of RSF Social Finance in America. Jasper shares his views on the differences in leadership styles in different countries and also on what it’s like being a leader in America’s tough world of business.
Ormit Talent: a good combination of leadership training and the opportunity to see inside large organisations
After obtaining his Master’s degree, Jasper had no idea what he wanted to do. However, he did know that he was really drawn to large companies and leadership roles. When he then happened to cross paths with Ormit Talent, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to combine both of the above. “Ormit Talent was my chance to continue to develop my profile, benefit from some more formal leadership training and see various companies from the inside. And, by doing this, gain a better idea of what’s right for me and what I’m good at. I was really blown away when I heard that I’d been accepted. I started the programme with 11 pool mates back in 1998; it was a fantastic experience that I would wholeheartedly recommend to others.”
An international career? Yes we can!
Jasper stayed at Ormit Talent for two years after finishing his traineeship. But when he was given the opportunity to work for Weleda in Germany, he grabbed it with both hands. “I held multiple positions at Weleda during my time there and lived in Germany for almost six years. Eventually, I was asked to become the CEO of Weleda in North America. Well, I didn’t have to spend too much time thinking about my answer; it was such a great opportunity. My family and I made the move to New York in 2008. I was responsible for leading Weleda in the US, Canada and Mexico, where I designed and implemented a growth strategy too. But I was also a member of Basel’s Global Commercial Leadership Team. I also reorganised Weleda Benelux as interim managing director.”
After an amazing career at Weleda, Jasper decided to use his knowledge to invest in companies that want to make a positive contribution to a better society. “I left Weleda in 2016 and became an investor and supervisory director. I wanted to work for purpose-driven organisations, businesses that make the world a little better. I then helped organisations run their businesses, make difficult decisions and develop growth strategies. And then RSF Social Finance came along, which gave me the freedom to build a team, develop a strategy and take ultimate responsibility for an organisation. That suited me more than standing on the sidelines as an investor or supervisory board member.”
Meet me in the middle: the culture shock of structured Germany and enthusiastic America
So, Jasper has gained a wealth of experience with various large, complex organisations and cultural differences in the workplace and has even experienced a culture shock or two himself: “My time at Ormit helped me develop a certain sensitivity to other cultures. The ability to know who I am as an individual and as a leader in the context of the culture I find myself in. Cultures vary enormously from one country to another, which makes cultural sensitivity important. But nothing can prepare you for expressing yourself in a foreign language and the nuance of communication in that language. It’s very tiring initially and takes a while to get used to. Although I already spoke German and English, it still took me two years to feel comfortable with the language without having to think too much about what I was saying. Moving to and living in another country was a major change as well. Everything’s different. And that takes a while to get used to.”
“Another shock was the transition from Germany to America. Germans are always very structured. They do everything thoroughly. Every meeting has an agenda and an objective and everyone works hard. Whenever I came up with an idea, I was given a minimum of five reasons why it wouldn’t work. There’s a lot of resistance and you are challenged intellectually, a kind of pressure test. This is all designed to see if your idea can stand up to scrutiny and, if it can, to ensure that every possible scenario has been considered from every angle and you know more or less in advance that a plan is going to work.”
“There was much less structure in New York. People there work hard but nowhere near as structured as in the Netherlands and definitely not as structured as in Germany. And American culture turned out to be even more different still. When you have an idea, everyone’s enthusiastic straight away: “Wow, that’s a great idea, let’s do it!” And then, as you go along, you find out that you’ve forgotten things, so far more changes are needed. I couldn’t say which approach is more effective though; there’s something to be said for all of them. It’s more a question of which style suits you best. I think the Dutch approach is somewhere in the middle. We’re very good at making lists and structuring, but we can be very excited about things too. The US is in several ways a peculiar society with huge differences between people in terms of opinion, in culture, between rich and poor, etc. And yet I still enjoy living and working here very much. There’s something in the air here and a wonderful can-do mentality. And I also literally and figuratively feel the space here that I feel less in the Netherlands.”
Leading abroad. A tricky business?
So, there are always cultural differences. But how do you, as a Dutchman who also has views of his own, lead people in other countries? Jasper: “In the beginning, be very aware that you don’t know anything and that the most important thing to do is listen, watch and learn. You are always learning. Leadership styles definitely vary from one country to another. What strikes me is that it’s difficult to lead people in the Netherlands because authority isn’t taken as a given there. You might be the boss but that doesn’t mean people will actually do what you ask or say. German culture is much more directive and a little more authority-based. In America, leaders are regarded as individuals who set the tone and have to have a vision. Leaders are seen far more as the people who decide which direction their organisations are going to take. And then the people below them decide whether they want to be part of that or not. Instead of establishing a vision for the future together. In America, it’s normal to say ‘I would like to hear from you before I make a decision’. This isn’t something you would be inclined to say in the Netherlands.”
“I like how The Center for Creative Leadership defines the term ‘leadership’. It involves ensuring direction, alignment and commitment. Those are the three things a leader needs to properly consider: clarity on our direction, aligning resources accordingly, and making sure there is support within the team. I’ve noticed a real difference in the ratio of this mix in the various countries I’ve worked in. The importance placed on each of those three ingredients varies depending on the country you are in.”
Good business and doing good: both are possible!
America is known as a tough place to do business. It is mainly capital-driven. So what’s it like to be the CEO of an organisation that actually seems to be doing the opposite? Jasper: “It’s true that America is very capital-driven. However, there’s also a big group of people there who realise that this isn’t the future. “What got us here, won’t get us there“. So, the principles and approach that manoeuvred us into the situation we are in today might not be exactly the same as the one that will get us to the next stage. At RSF Social Finance, we finance ‘good business and doing good‘, both of which can reinforce each other. We finance companies that make the world a better place, but run their businesses on the basis of the best practices of leadership and business. We show them how to make and use money in a way that supports the economy and solves some of the problems we all know are there. And also how to do this in a way that isn’t philanthropic but based on good business practices and the need to be profitable. A healthy dose of courage is essential though because there are always people who question the feasibility of what we are hoping to achieve.”
Leadership ambitions?
Jasper has some advice for the leaders of tomorrow: “Make sure you have one or more people around you who hold up a mirror to you. Who ask you questions, with just two purposes in mind: to support you in your development as a leader and to help you find your way. Throughout your life. I would advise every leader to treat some people close to them to dinner a few times a year. With the sole purpose of telling them exactly what you are doing and what you are coming up against. Everyone should have a sounding board you can open up to in complete confidence about the challenges you are facing.”
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