Over the course of my career, I've had the opportunity to work in more than 30 countries. Every trip taught me something about business, but a few changed the way I thought about leadership.

Spain was one of those places.

Our company had operations in both Madrid and Tarragona, and every visit reminded me that successful organizations don't all look the same. As an American executive, I arrived with certain expectations about what a “normal” workday looked like. Spain challenged those assumptions.

· The pace felt different.

· Breakfast was later.

· Lunch was longer.

· Dinner didn't begin until the time I was usually getting ready for bed.

Then came the moment that completely caught me off guard. At lunch, people sometimes enjoyed a small glass of wine. I remember thinking, "People drink wine at lunch? This almost feels...wrong." Not because it was wrong. It simply wasn't what I had experienced throughout my career in the US.

· Yet after lunch, everyone returned to work.

· And they worked.

· Professionalism never disappeared.

· Neither did the accountability.

The Part Most Companies Miss

As the days passed, I stopped paying attention to the schedule and started paying attention to the people.

· Accounting and operations worked together naturally.

· Management communicated priorities, and employees simply got to work.

· People weren't waiting to be told every small step.

· They understood the objectives.

· They collaborated.

· They solved problems together.

· Most of all, they genuinely seemed happy.

· That was the part that stayed with me.

· The work wasn't easier.

· The expectations weren't lower.

· The rhythm was simply different.

Early Warning Signs

Too often, organizations mistake familiar routines for effective leadership.

We assume that if everyone follows the same schedule, works the same hours, or approaches problems the same way, we'll achieve better results. Leadership isn't measured by how closely people follow our own habits. It's measured by the outcomes we achieve together as a team. As leaders, it's easy to become consumed by deadlines and daily demands, but building a cohesive team is one of the most important investments we can make.

Different cultures can produce exceptional results while operating in very different ways.

· The common denominator isn't the schedule.

· It's trust.

· It's collaboration.

· It's shared purpose.

Why "We’ll Figure It Out" Doesn’t Work

Organizations that insist there's only one "right" way to work often miss opportunities to learn. When we become attached to our own routines instead of remaining curious, we unintentionally limit innovation.

Some of the best leadership lessons I've learned came from observing how people in another culture built trust, worked together, and respected both the work and the people doing it. Those experiences reminded me that adaptability is about recognizing that excellence can take different forms.

What Strong Companies Do Differently

The strongest organizations create environments where people understand the mission, trust one another, and work collaboratively toward shared goals. That's exactly what I experienced in Spain.

· People were welcoming.

· Teams worked across functions.

· Operations and accounting supported one another.

· The culture valued relationships without sacrificing accountability.

As I spent more time there, I found myself appreciating not only the results, but the environment that produced them, and the wonderful people I had the pleasure of working with.

By the end of my trips, I wasn't just leaving another assignment. I had developed a genuine appreciation for a different approach to leadership. In fact, I remember spending a weekend in New York before flying home to Houston, sitting in a restaurant replaying the week in my mind.

· Madrid.

· Tarragona.

· Barcelona.

· The people.

· The conversations.

· The collaboration.

I found myself thinking, "I wonder if the company would transfer me to Spain?"

I wasn't kidding, and to my disappointment, no, they did not.

The Real Difference

Years later, I still have an “I ❤️ Madrid” magnet on my refrigerator.

Every time I see it, I smile and I'm reminded that the most valuable thing I brought home wasn't a souvenir, but a different perspective.

Working in more than 30 countries taught me that leadership isn't about making everyone think, work, or live exactly as we do.

· It's about understanding people well enough to bring out their best.

· Different cultures may have different rhythms.

· But great organizations share something remarkably consistent.

· People trust one another.

· People collaborate.

· People care about doing great work.

Great leaders recognize that there is often more than one path to excellence.

I’ve worked in other companies that discouraged this type of relationship building.

I'm glad I never listened. Because do you know what happened?

Those relationships I nurtured throughout my career with employees and colleagues are what continue to make me happy to this day, many years later.

Christina L Sowell
Founder & Principal Consultant
Christina L Sowell Consulting LLC
Calm in Complexity