Opleiding: Erin Meyer on Intercultural Leadership

Erin Meyer on Intercultural Leadership 

What’s really going on here? Understanding the invisible forces behind intercultural collaboration  

A colleague who never speaks up
A meeting that goes in circles without decisions
A joke that doesn’t land

Working across cultures can be unexpectedly tricky. Whether you’re doing business internationally, managing a multicultural team, or working with clients and colleagues from different backgrounds, cultural differences play a crucial role.

Often in ways you don’t even see.

In this hands-on seminar, INSEAD professor Erin Meyer will help you understand and use hidden cultural patterns in communication, leadership, feedback and collaboration:

• How to prevent “yes” from actually meaning “no”
• How to give feedback that resonates across cultures
• How to build trust: through results or relationships
• How to adapt without losing your own values

With practical examples and plenty of interaction, you’ll learn how to turn cultural confusion into clarity. You will lead with more confidence, empathy, and impact across cultures.

Your takeaways

• A sharper eye for cultural signals – and how to respond wisely
• More influence in conversations, collaborations and negotiations
• A flexible leadership style that works across cultures
• The ability to give feedback that lands well – anywhere
• Practical tools for avoiding friction and building trust

And above all: the confidence to lead diverse teams with real impact.

For who? For you!

This seminar is for anyone who works in or with cultural diversity. Whether you lead a global team, manage people with different cultural backgrounds, or collaborate across borders – this is for you.

It’s just as relevant if your team is based in one country but includes people with different cultural roots. Because even without passports involved, culture shapes how we speak up, give feedback, lead, and follow.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why is this person reacting like that?” This session will give you answers, clarity, and tools to lead with more impact.

PROGRAM

08:00 Registration
09:30 Start seminar

Block 1 – Communicating Across Cultures (09:30 – 11:00)

Are you saying what you mean – and is it landing the way you think?

What feels “clear” in one culture may come across as rude, vague, or overly blunt in another. This session helps you understand how culture shapes communication and how to adjust your style without losing authenticity.

You’ll learn:

• How ‘Dutch directness’ may land in other cultures
• How to prevent “yes” from actually meaning “no”
• How to give feedback that resonates across cultures
• How to talk about how you communicate – instead of making assumptions

Block 2 – Leading Across Cultures (11:30 – 13:00)

What kind of leader are you – and how is that perceived?

There’s no such thing as a universal leadership style. What works in the Netherlands might fail in other cultural contexts. This session gives you practical insight into how leadership is perceived culturally – and how to navigate it effectively.

You’ll learn:

• Why your coaching approach may come across as weak
• How to build trust: through results or relationships
• How to spot cultural friction in your leadership
• How to unlock the strengths of a diverse team

Block 3 – Culture Mapping: bringing it all together (14:00 – 15:30)

From insight to impact: build your own Culture Map

This block brings everything together. You’ll map out your team or organization’s cultural dynamics, identify friction points and hidden gaps – and turn them into a strategic advantage.

You’ll learn:

• How to map cultural gaps and where collaboration breaks down
• How to make culture discussable – without making it personal
• How to adapt without losing your own values
• How to lead a team where everyone feels seen and empowered

Guest lecture – Oops did I say THAT? (16:00 – 17:00)

How small language slips can cause big misunderstandings

English is the go-to language for global business but it’s also a minefield. One wrong word, and your message turns into a joke. Buffi Duberman shares the funniest, cringiest, and most common mistakes non-natives make – and how to avoid them with flair.

You’ll learn:

• How to spot (and dodge) false friends like eventually
• Why literal translations rarely work – and what to say instead
• What to do when you mess up – and how to recover with grace and humor
• How to sound more natural, clear, and confident in international English
  

17:00 Closing and reception

This seminar is English spoken

Erin Meyer on Intercultural Leadership is a DenkProducties seminar


SPEAKERS

Erin Meyer
Erin Meyer is a professor at INSEAD, one of the leading international business schools. Her work focuses on how the world's most successful managers navigate the complexities of cultural differences in a global environment. She helps companies develop organizational cultures that breed both flexibility and innovation.

Living and working in Africa, Europe, and the United States prompted Erin’s study of communication patterns and business systems around the world. Her Culture Map framework allows international executives to pinpoint their leadership preferences and compare them to the management styles of other cultures.

Erin has taught thousands of executives from five continents to decode cross-cultural complexities and work more effectively across differences.
She also conducted an in-depth study with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on building a corporate culture that is inventive, fast, and flexible. The results were published in their book: No Rules Rules (Penguin Press, 2020).

Erin publishes frequently in Harvard Business Review and has also contributed to The New York Times, Forbes, and The Times of India. She has been interviewed on CNN, Bloomberg TV, the BBC, and NPR.

In 2023, she was listed by Thinkers50 as one of the fifty most impactful business writers in the world.

Buffi Duberman
In international leadership, words matter. One misplaced expression can confuse a room – or compromise a deal. Enter Buffi Duberman: the Netherlands’ most sought-after English communication expert, known for helping leaders sharpen their message, avoid hidden language traps, and speak with confidence across cultures.

In her high-energy keynote, Buffi takes the audience on a fast-paced tour through the do’s and don’ts of global English. From false friends to fatal translations. Insightful, practical, and wildly entertaining.

Buffi has spent over three decades at the intersection of language and leadership. Originally from Brooklyn, she’s coached more than 10,000 professionals worldwide, including boardroom executives, media personalities, and native speakers.

On stage, Buffi brings the perfect mix of expertise and bravoure. She speaks the language of leaders – but never forgets the human behind the title. Her keynote is a masterclass in international credibility, delivered with warmth, wit, and unmistakable presence.

After 45 minutes with Buffi, you won’t just speak better English – you’ll lead with greater impact.