Cultural intelligence - a skill critical for SME leaders

FRANCOIS (not his real name) was parachuted into Singapore some years ago. He had performed well in a Swiss-owned pharmaceutical firm in Basel and when the opportunity arose, he was posted to Singapore to undertake the role of managing the Asia-Pacific business.

Francois had worked in multiple European countries and a two-year stint in the US. At the age of 46, Francois was at the peak of his career, and based on his track records, his boss, the global CEO, had high expectations. Francois' mission was to grow the Asia-Pacific business during his three-year posting.

Francois and his employer had two challenges, both should have been foreseeable. One, the pharmaceutical industry was going through a disruptive period. With multiple patents expiring came the advent of generic drugs, and this in itself posed the greatest business challenge. To make things worse, new drug discoveries were nowhere on the horizon.