This is the goal of my series on Cultural Prisms - to understand what external barriers, along with the barriers within ourselves, which we need to overcome in order to connect with others.

I invite you to join me in delving deeper into the discussion around cultural prisms as we explore the theme through the lens of business, leadership and work culture in China.

In keeping with the theme of Cultural Prisms, this month we take a deeper dive to explore how this theme applies to US leadership culture and work environments. As someone who has lived and worked in the US for more than 15 years, this is an area that is personally very intriguing.

This year's International Women's Day theme was Break the Bias (#breakthebias), a global commitment to call out bias, challenge perceptions, and forge a path for women's equality. This important campaign made me reflect on how culture influences gender roles and more specifically, how cultural prisms are inextricably linked to gender beliefs and practices. In celebrating Women's History Month and the incredible contributions women have made to our culture and society, we must also grow awareness around cultural prisms, to both welcome and dispute them.

These are unprecedented times. The Future of Work is undergoing a sizable shift. Over the last few years, our daily work lives have changed in significant ways - from a dramatic increase in remote working to virtual-first companies and ever-evolving technology. And tomorrow’s landscape will require businesses and organizations to be even more multicultural.

This year, I am endeavoring to focus on a major theme: How to Successfully Lead Across Cultures. This is a topic that I touch upon in my work with private clients, along with my collaborations with organizations. Throughout the year, I will play out a different idea about leading across cultures, such as talking about the concept of the cultural prism and the differences in leadership styles across cultures, the unwritten rules of global business, and the leadership lessons of assimilating on purpose - amongst other important themes.