Should you find yourself being offered the position of the CEO of a foreign company be aware of the following even if you fancy yourself as a global traveller, gourmand, patron of the arts and so on.
Most likely no one outside the United States likes you–the staff, the board, the regulators–none of them. You were chosen because you outshine all the local talent, and the locals don’t like that.
Do not accept the offer if you do not understand the language the board of directors speak.
If you are offered the CEO position of a Japanese company, understand you are not the real CEO, you are the Gaijin face for the real CO who is Japanese and shadows all you moves.
Your success which has led to the offer comes from all the characteristics foreigners make fun of Americans at their Sunday night family dinners after they watch the evening news. And by the way, you’ll never be invited to dinner.
If you take the position, you must perform above expectations because they believe that Americans are a little brash, unabashedly smart, outspoken, loud, flashy dressers, and in general a smart aleck.
Don’t let them down; be yourself, don’t hide who you are, but always be polite. Prove to them that you’re worth what your contract calls, especially after someone in your HR department leaks your compensation details to the Financial Times.
In Europe particularly, you are operating in a ‘Blue Crab’ scenario. This is where in a bucket of blue crabs, no crab can ever climb up and out because the crabs below pull the achievers down. It’s not polite to be a climber.
If you accept the position overseas of a far-flung American company remember the further you are away from the executive floor, the less likely you’ll be remembered even if you carry a big title abroad. You’ll be crushed when you finally return to the US and discover your overseas role translates into a district sales manager job in Newark.
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