You don’t see the culture you’re in — until you step outside of it.
“There’s no such thing as a Dutch business culture. Everyone is different.”
That’s what I used to believe — until I moved abroad and took on my first international assignment, 6 countries and 30 years ago….🫣🫣
Living and working in a completely different environment, everything felt unfamiliar:
💬 How people communicated
🤝 How decisions were made
🧭 How leadership was expressed
What I had once considered “normal” or “professional” was simply… cultural.
Shaped by the system I grew up in and worked in.
I didn’t just learn about others.
I started to see myself — my assumptions, pace, leadership style, and the invisible rules I carried with me. And I realized: there is no such thing as normal.
There are only systems we’ve adapted to — consciously or unconsciously.
This is where my work with leaders and teams begins.
That’s what authentic and inclusive leadership means:
Leading with self-awareness, cultural intelligence, and the courage to choose your response.
Leadership that begins with knowing yourself and expands by understanding others.
Leadership that requires the awareness and courage to choose your response.
As Daniel Kahneman taught us, much of our thinking is unconscious.
And that includes the way we lead.
Cultural awareness doesn’t begin with “the other”; it begins with you.
In my programs, you’ll learn to:
✔ Recognize the (organizational) culture you operate in — its spoken and unspoken rules
✔ Understand how this culture shapes your perception of “strong,” “efficient,” or “right.”
✔ Use your talent, vision, and preferred style strategically, with clarity and focus
✔ Staying true to yourself while adapting consciously, not unconsciously
✔ Creating space for other voices and bringing out the best in your team
Curious what others say about my programs?
“Caroline creates a safe space that invites open dialogue, self-reflection and growth.”
“I finally understood how my own cultural lens was impacting the way I lead—and how to make better choices.”
“This training was a turning point for our team.”#authenticleadership #inclusiveleadership #executivecoaching #culturalintelligence #organizationalculture #teamdevelopment #culturalawareness #cctransitions