My current profile photo is over 10 years old. Not only did my face look younger, I also had more hair. The combined attrition of skin and hair has clearly made the gap between my reality and past so noticeable, that in the past month two students attending separate trainings have suggested I update my profile picture.
Both were very diplomatic. One took the approach that I now carry more authority so a more current photo “may be appropriate”, while the other simply suggested that the old photo doesn’t look like me and I look better now!
I know that I’m not alone in holding on to an old profile photo, from personal experience I’m probably in the majority. Whether down to laziness or a desire to hold on to the past, many people use old photos on their profile. That is not the topic for today though. What I want to pick up on is the comment around ‘carrying more authority’.
The principle of authority exists in every culture. Our parents are our first authority figures followed by the teacher, doctor and policeman. In most cultures, we are taught that obedience to authority is the correct behaviour. I say “in most cultures’ because there is a large cultural variation in how authority is viewed and this impacts leadership styles in corporate society.
Most Asian countries for example give a high level of respect to people in authority positions. Traditionally, there is a high correlation between age and holding positions of authority in such societies and they tend to have hierarchical leadership styles and a top-down decision-making process. The implications for our business communication are that we need to show appropriate respect to the senior person in the room (often the oldest) and meet them with someone of a similar level of seniority. When I was a young Investment Banker in my late 20’s travelling to Seoul to discuss restructuring debt portfolios, I could not get the Korean decision maker (usually a 50+ year old Managing Director) at the table unless I was accompanied by 50+ year old MD from my company. Showing deference to authority is important in such cultures.
The opposite would be the case in egalitarian societies where the corporate structure is much flatter, and leaders shun the corner office in favour of being one of the team. Decision making is made by consensus rather than based on seniority. The most notable such societies are Sweden and the Netherlands. When dealing with flatter organisations, leading with authority could backfire as it certainly won’t impress. Instead, a well-considered proposal whereby the impact across society is considered along with the impact on the balance sheet is more likely to generate traction. There is less likelihood of any judgement being made due to age, although reputation and past experience will be respected.
The above two paragraphs are not an exhaustive analysis of cross-cultural approaches to authority, leadership and decision making. There are many exceptions to the rules and nuances within cultures. They do however offer a high-level awareness of the different approaches to authority across societies.
As far as my profile picture is concerned, the decision is clear. When dealing with hierarchical societies an updated (older) profile picture should convey more knowledge which is a definite plus in my line of work. Egalitarian societies meanwhile will not count my age against me, so there is little downside to updating the photo. Now to find someone who can do a good job..!
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