LeaderImpact Podcast
LeaderImpact Podcast
Ep. 72 - Elvis Filote - Understanding Culture as a Global Leader
Ever wonder how leadership has evolved in Eastern Europe since the days of communism? Join us as we sit down with Elvis Filote, a market engagement lead at McDonald's and leader of LeaderImpact Global. Prepare to gain profound insights into the changing landscape of leadership in Romania, from the rigid, top-down structures of the past to a more modern approach that champions integrity and humility. Elvis offers a rare glimpse into the cultural expectations that shape leadership, particularly for women, and emphasizes the power of leveraging team talents over striving for personal perfection.
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Lisa Peters:I'm your host, Lisa Peters, and our guest today is Elvis Filote. Elvis is a market engagement lead at McDonald's, engaging with markets in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North America on data analytics and governance strategies. He promotes and implements global data best practices, resources and tools. Elvis is also a consultant, trainer and executive coach and helps team leaders and executives explore motivating solutions to accelerate their performance and achieve better results. He is dedicated to building communities of influential leaders who serve as change agents for positive impact and mentors for emerging leaders. He is also leading Leader Impact Global, our strategy and development team. Welcome, Elvis.
Elvis Filote:Thank you. Thank you, Lisa, thank you for having me.
Lisa Peters:Well, in case, I mean, our listeners don't know this, but you are currently in Bucharest, Romania. We are on a bit of a time difference, so I have sucked back enough coffees to get me going, because it is early here. How do you it? I mean, it's 7 am for me and I'm a 5 am club, but how do you? Just my first question how do you work across all the time zones? I'm reading this. I'm like Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America, so we're talking hours. Do you work all the time?
Elvis Filote:Well, I do work a lot of hours, that's for sure. Hardest is probably connecting with China, Japan, Australia, because you know it's often it has to be around 1.30 2 am my time, but you know it's not that often, so not a huge problem, I've gotten used to it and I try to balance. You know, whenever I have things happening late in the evening try to get a slower morning and so on.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, one of our LeaderI mpact books right now is about boundaries and working hours, so it's very, you know, I can understand people who work globally and who you know. Yes, you have a meeting at 1.30, you'll take the next morning, or you know? Yeah, you have to make it work for you. So thanks for entertaining me on that question. Um, I am excited to talk to you. We you know, in regards to leadership in your country and and dealing globally, because you deal with so many more people. My world is, and many people's world is, our own country, our own people right down the block, so I'm excited for you to share a little bit more. The first question we want to talk about is leadership style and approach, and the question is what makes a great leader in your country and do you feel this is unique to your country?
Elvis Filote:Well, let me share a little bit of background about my country and Eastern Europe. I think it applies to Eastern Europe as well. So, coming from communism, obviously leadership was very top down and very hierarchical. We've had our share of dictators. In Romania we have a not so positive figure that has influenced our culture and kind of our perception of leadership.
Elvis Filote:So I think right now, about 30, some years after our revolution, people are looking for a different style of leadership, so they appreciate something that's different from what communism kind of presented. So I think some leadership traits that are very appreciated are, first of all, a leader who models what he's expecting others to do. And you know, it's always great to see a leader that is not asking and has high standards, but when he models them, when he embodies some of the values and it's something around integrity, isn't it Whenever we're modeling what we're expecting others to do. So that's one thing. Probably another one would be a leader that's vulnerable, it's modest.
Elvis Filote:I think there's a saying in Romania, you know, and kind of teaching, we've grown with it you got to be good at everything, you got to do everything well, but that's often a recipe for mediocrity.
Elvis Filote:But as I train leaders, as I coach executive leaders, they often say my mindset was always I had to be the best at everything, it does not matter sales, marketing. I had to be the smartest person in the room. It's not true. We cannot be that, and I think leaders who a leader who knows what he's good at, is very aware of his strengths and weaknesses and focus on where his strengths are and surrounds himself with the kind of people that are smarter and better than him and knows how to leverage those skills, I think that's going to be very important. So those are two traits that I would say are very important in our culture right now. Yeah, we appreciate a leader that models and embodies the values and is a person of integrity, and then a leader who really knows his strengths, weaknesses and his success is not his success is the success of the team. That takes a little bit of modesty.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, Would you say there's any difference between men and women? Because when you said about you've got to be good at everything, perfection is a. You know, I think we deal with that all the time. I'm still dealing with that, thinking I need to be perfect, and I don't know if it's any different because you just said about you know, for the last 30 years, it's taken a long time for women to step up to the plate.
Elvis Filote:It's very true. It's very true and I think it's true in our culture. Traditionally men had more leadership positions and now, if things are changing, we're seeing more women take leadership positions, which is great and encouraged. it should be. I think there is not an easy transition to kind of be in that role and be successful in their role, and I think it's tougher, it's more difficult for women because they're also handling other challenges and needs at home providing and taking care of the kids, family Not that the husband doesn't have any of those responsibilities, but you understand what I'm saying. So I think it's true for women. It applies to everything. I think, thankfully, we're in a much better place than where we used to be, culturally transitioning from communism to where we are right now. And again, thankfully, we're seeing a lot more women in leadership positions, which is great.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, and when you're dealing with many countries, are you finding you know you talk in your country vulnerability, being modest, modeling a leader who model? Well, we talked about modeling. Are you seeing that across the countries that you're dealing?
Elvis Filote:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean clearly, culture influences our view of leadership and the way we lead, definitely, and it's going to be different depending on region, on country. Even in Europe it's different. It's different in Western Europe than it is in Eastern Europe, and often it may be different in neighboring countries.
Elvis Filote:So I think understanding where the culture is and where they're coming from, understanding a little bit of the culture and the history will help you a long way as a leader, because you cannot bring your own view of leadership or even standards and expect that it's going to be embraced immediately. It takes time and often it's just something that you got to be sensitive with. I wish there is a recipe or an easy principle to apply, but other than listening, understanding where people are coming from, their view, perceptions, and even it can go multiple ways where a woman might come in in a leadership position based on past experiences, trying to prove a lot. It might not be the case, or it might be the case. So understanding that reality, I think for a leader is very important.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, Thank you for answering that. I wanted to ask you more about challenges and strategies. I can see my lips aren't moving yet this morning. I'm clearly still waking up. I'm not sure if you can talk about unique challenges you face as a leader in your own country or culture and if you could share an example of how you addressed it.
Elvis Filote:So one of them I already touched on is this top-down type of leadership, hierarchical, and probably a challenge that comes with that is lack of leadership models. I'll give you an example. If I ask you, Lisa, what's somebody, a leader that you admire, as I asked this, maybe in Western countries, people often tell me about their parents, they tell me about a teacher, they tell me about somebody they know. With obviously some exceptions, but often in our culture people talk about a leader but not somebody that they know. It's somebody that they've read about, they heard about, maybe a movie character, but not necessarily often people that you've lived with. Of course you have some people where they will see the leader I admire the most, as my father or my mother, but often it's somebody that they don't know. So clearly that helps you understand there's a lack of models, a leadership void that has been created by the impact of communism and the effects of that system.
Elvis Filote:So how I, or we, are trying to overcome some of that challenge is expose Romanian leaders, emerging leaders and actual leaders to good models of leaders, good leadership.
Elvis Filote:So one thing that I've done was you know, bring people from US, Canada, Europe, Western Europe and I'm not saying that you know things are perfect in these countries but I think clearly you can see more leadership models, resources, principles and proven success, tested tools and resources.
Elvis Filote:So exposing Romanian leaders and European leaders to good leadership models through bringing speakers. Or even I've created a mentoring program where we basically paired leaders from the US with Romanian leaders and it was a nine- month leadership program and some of those those relationships have turned into friendships that have lasted for years. Some of these guys have business relationships, they work together. So it's obviously not at a huge scale, but it's one way to sort that problem. I think another thing that's happening in our country we're learning a lot, we're reading a lot. There's a lot of appetite for leadership in Eastern Europe, so people are really learning, going to conferences, to seminars, trying to learn as much as possible how to become a better leader and be more effective in how they're, they lead their teams and their businesses.
Lisa Peters:No different I mean in Canada this the appetite for learning the interesting comment about the leadership and that for us. Well, I think it's natural to look to our parents. You know we want to model our parents, but again, just that, it's natural. But you're saying it's they don't. They didn't look at that.
Elvis Filote:Yeah, and it's not the idea of you know, I've had amazing parents, but not necessarily they didn't necessarily model good leadership principles because they have not had models of their own. I had to look outside. Even, it's true for myself. Most of my mentors across the years so I'm talking 30 years have been mentors from outside Romania.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, and do you see a shift? You're saying this is 30 years. Are you seeing a shift in those 20-year-olds coming up, the new leadership?
Elvis Filote:I think so, I think so. Obviously there is an openness. Now there are new businesses emerging, there is a different style because ultimately the market will, force you to offer some good leadership, otherwise you're out. So I think democracy in a sense comes with a pressure on good leadership. So I think we have seen and we are seeing good leadership emerge in Romania. Can't say there's an abundance, I wish, but it's coming. I think with younger generations we're going to see more and more and more.
Lisa Peters:Good, all right. Our next question talks a little bit about cultural sensitivity and global leadership, and how do you approach leading a team or organization with members from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Elvis Filote:Good question. I wish again somebody handed me a recipe, but people don't come with instructions, you know, with how to work with. There's no manual on how to work with people. I think cultural diversity is very significant. I've had the opportunity to work in several multicultural teams and contexts, both in business but also in some non-for-profit organizations, I would say again, looking at who you have in the team and what their background. There's some great resources.
Elvis Filote:There's several books that talk about culture and culture differences and understanding how culture influences our decision-making, how culture influences our communication style. There's a book called and maybe you will find this helpful the listeners and viewers. It's called Culture Map. I forget the author, but he's talking about how, you know, it's going to be different how Romanians communicate and then how people in the US and Canada communicate.
Elvis Filote:Usually, leadership is very hierarchical in some cultures and very relational in other cultures. How we approach conflict is going to be very different. So, I think, being aware and using the research, the studies, and of course, it's going to be different with every person. So again, there is the danger of putting people into boxes because you're from a certain culture. You should have that profile. I think you know we got to be careful at that too.
Elvis Filote:But something that's very important for me is I try to focus on what do we have in common, more than where are we different. I think being aware of differences is important, but focusing on what is it that we have in common. Human nature is a huge common ground when it comes to leadership. So, creating that space where people can really be honest and you know, ultimately, yeah, you're coming with a certain mindset into how you're going to communicate, but if, as a leader, you're creating that space where people understand where you're coming from, what your motivation is and that you're for them, ultimately will get people to open up.
Elvis Filote:But you might have to work harder with some and less with others. The most important thing is understanding that the world does not look like how you see it. The world is not how we see it. The world might be very different than how we see it because we see it through our own glasses of culture and mindset and views, of culture and mindset and views and understanding that others are looking at the same thing but from completely different perspective, wearing different glasses. I think that's very important and in a sense that creates that humbleness, that modesty of saying maybe the way I'm seeing it is not definitely how everybody else is seeing it. So at least listen, understand, ask a question and see, and really listen to see what you're hearing from others, and that might be very insightful.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, the book you talked about. I'm just going to repeat it Culture Map.
Elvis Filote:Culture Map.
Lisa Peters:Culture Map and we'll. I'm sure if we Google that, we'll find that. You know the Google. When you talk about understanding and trust, I think of the many countries you're working in and and your involvement in LeaderI mpact. I mean global strategies. You are being translated in many countries. Have you ever been? Has there ever been a disconnect, a misunderstanding in a translation and causes a problem?
Elvis Filote:Oh, yes. The whole idea is I think there was a time when we led with methods, with recipe. Basically, I have a model. Replicate this model and apply it everywhere else. In a sense, McDonald's is a champion of that. They have started a model, they packaged it and they have multiplied it across the world.
Elvis Filote:But it's interesting, what they're, what McDonald's is doing, is there. They always have this cultural sensitivity where every culture can bring their own products. Yes, you're going to have the Big Mac, you're going to have the products that McDonald's has everywhere, and they're going to be consistent, but they also have. You know, you go to Italy and you're going to have your espresso the way Italians have it. You can have. You know, you go somewhere else and have something else. Even Romanians have their famous meat. Those are some sausages that Romanians are very proud of, and from time to time, you're going to find them in a McDonald's.
Elvis Filote:All of that to say, I think it's important that we replicate some of the things that can be replicated and multiply, but we also need to lead with principles, and I think, the more I apply that, that you know what's the principle behind what we're trying to do.
Elvis Filote:Principles are are go beyond culture and beyond time, and learning how to bring the principle so that the local leaders can understand it and contextualize it is so important. And I think talk about translation me being sensitive to what the culture is, what's happening in the culture and not assuming. For example, I was in Turkey a year ago and I kept using this word that made sense in my culture, in my context, but it meant totally different to them and people were just frowning and I could see there was tense in the room and people were getting frustrated with me. And when I stopped and say, okay, what's happening and what's this about, and people explained what the difference, the cultural difference, was and we had to define a different term that applied and translated. But I had to be sensitive and aware of you know, and obviously I had to learn something that I had no idea about.
Lisa Peters:Yeah, so were you in person in Turkey, or was it a Zoom Okay?
Elvis Filote:No, it was in person. It was in person training.
Lisa Peters:Good, all right. Well, we're going to move on to personal development and learning. I'm just wondering if you have any advice you would give to aspiring leaders, particularly those from different cultural backgrounds?
Elvis Filote:So you know I will speak about some of the things that I would say were key in my development and hopefully they apply. But I think having a mentor is so important. Have somebody that is more experienced, even older. I think it helps because they bring a different experience from a later in life perspective that you cannot have as a young leader. You're not there, but anticipating seeing what's going to happen. I have a mentor right now from the US. I meet with him every two weeks. I leave so inspired after every conversation. He's at a different stage in life and I'm able to anticipate, in a sense, where I will be 10 years from now because of learning about where he is and what's going on in his life.
Elvis Filote:So have a mentor, read a lot, learn a lot. Maybe reading is not your thing, but so many other options podcasts clearly, Leader Impact Podcast is a great source, but learn from other leaders. Learn from other leadership experiences. Don't listen just to the people that you like and are saying the things that you agree with, but really dive in deep and this is very profound. I find it very hard to listen to people that I don't agree with, but it's so healthy, because it really helps us understand why we believe what we believe and even kind of try to put a little bit you know, not doubt it, but challenge our beliefs. I think that's important because we often think we're right and we might find out it's not true and hopefully we're learning in advance, not when it hurts, .
Lisa Peters:I'm just going to jump in here when I think of artificial intelligence and, and you know, our phones are lit, you know, and not that they're listening to us, it's just they're listening and they give you what you want. So here you are, you have an ideal, you're talking about it and it just gives you more. And you think I am right, and you know you need to read things you don't like, and so I think I need to start saying to my phone the opposite of what I'm saying, so I can get some other, because you get fed.
Lisa Peters:That's what wants to give you Lisa of what you want.
Lisa Peters:Well, we need to challenge our thinking. .
Elvis Filote:Exactly. And one more thing, lisa, that I think is very Impact, we that cluelessness syndrome of leaders. Basically, we're all clueless about something. We all have weaknesses, and you know how it is. When you're driving a car, there is that dead angle where you cannot see what you cannot see. Basically, it's the things in our life as a leader where we don't know what we don't know but everybody else knows.
Elvis Filote:And the higher you are LeaderI mpact, about the . All going to hear it, because people are afraid to tell you or they're not afraid to tell you or they're not afraid, but maybe you know it's uncomfortable, uh, it's, it's um, so being intentional about hearing what you don't know and hearing things about yourself that maybe you don't like to hear, so invite feedback. Mentors can tell you, have in you invite. You to speak into your life, but also whenever somebody tells you something, that will really kind of make you jump and feel like I don't like this. I should defend, I should justify, he's not right. Ask at least one or two questions. I'm curious. What makes you say that I should defend, I should justify, he's not right. Ask at least one or two questions. I'm curious. What makes you say that? Tell me more about that and then you can justify it and you can maybe defend it if you feel like you still need to, but really listen well to find what's in your blind spot.
Lisa Peters:Right. So would you say? I mean, I know that Leader Impact. We as leaders come together so we have each other, we surround ourselves with other leaders and we can talk about these things. Would you find that in Romania? Are leaders doing that? Are they surrounding themselves? Because leadership is lonely. You get to the top, you have no one to talk to, and you know. So that's one of the great things with leader impact for me is surrounding myself with other leaders and I can. talk to someone. Are you? Is that prominent?
Elvis Filote:Yeah, we're big in LeaderI mpact. About that, all of our small groups are actually not about the small group and not about the book that we may or the topic that we may be discussing or studying is basically create that safe environment for leaders to learn from each other, but also for leaders to see those blind spots, to see and learn from others. You know, that's where you find mentors. In a sense, you learn from other people's mistakes without doing the same mistakes and you can anticipate what not to do, but also you learn from best practices.
Elvis Filote:We're not going to be great at everything. We're going to be great at some things and we have a chance and opportunity to invest in leaders. That will definitely put to work what you have to offer, but also it will be a huge opportunity for you to learn. So that's the environment we're trying to create in Leader Impact, and not just professionally, but also personally and spiritually, because those are important areas in our lives and they really influence how we lead ultimately and they influence our business success.
Lisa Peters:Some are not. Where does Romania fit in that? Are you dancing on the streets with your faith, or are you very private? Or where?
Elvis Filote:I would say culturally, Eastern Europeans, Romanians are more private about faith. It's kind of awkward to talk about faith. You talk about faith with, maybe family and close friends in a special context. I think it shouldn't be that way. I think we should be more open about having conversations around faith, but it's where we are. So it definitely takes a little bit of warming up for a Romanian to talk about faith and God and stuff like that, but it's important. We definitely want to create that type of environment and LeaderI mpact.
Lisa Peters:Good. How do you, or how does your country, measure the success of a leader?
Elvis Filote:I'm not sure if there is a, I'll share my personal opinion. Obviously, results are very important. A leader that can deliver results is going to be an appreciated leader. But it's not just about results, it's about the environment that you're creating as a leader. So, I think a leader that is able to focus on the objective and gets things done and achieves great results, but not at the expense of people. So creating an environment where people love their job, their role, they feel they're being empowered. I think, often I hear Romanian leaders, and not just Romanian, but I think it's true across the world. You know, it's always results and people. And results are ultimately achieved by people. And being able to empower, to internally motivate, and a leader that knows how to increase the engagement of his team will lead to better results. So success of leaders is people who are able to do both.
Lisa Peters:Sounds good to me. Uh, what do you hope your legacy as a leader is when you leave this world?
Elvis Filote:I do hope that people will will say I'm a better leader because I got to work with Elvis, I got to rub shoulders with him. I do hope that people will say Elvis has been a person who not just talked the talk but walked the talk, that I modeled good leadership. I hope that I will be humble enough to be, you know, to admit when I made mistakes, and people will admire. And I think I hope that people will say, yeah, I know what Elvis's weaknesses were, but he was honest and also diligent. He worked hard at overcoming some of his shortcomings. So I hope that's going to be my legacy and I hope my kids will say I will have been their best friends and my wife will say the same thing. I will have not sacrificed my family and friends for the sake of work right yeah that's the kind of legacy I'm hoping, but but a lot still that I need to do to be good at that.
Lisa Peters:It's a work in progress.
Elvis Filote:Yeah, every day yeah.
Lisa Peters:I'd like to think that some days I'm really good at it and some days I'm not so. But you know, average out I'm good.
Elvis Filote:Yeah, it takes a lot of work and diligence. It doesn't happen overnight, that's for sure.
Lisa Peters:I think we need to just all remember to grant ourselves some grace when we are not you know, when something happens, when we took two steps back and you know it's okay, or one step back, two forward, just grant yourself some grace.
Elvis Filote:I agree.
Lisa Peters:Elvis, I want to thank you for just taking this time. We appreciate it as leaders around the world. I want to hear more about the leadership I just love because we his LeaderI mpact is around the world. We're always zooming in on meetings together and how lucky we are to have this and to speak. You know, here we are speaking live, so I just want to thank you Now. If anyone wants to connect with you, find out. Oh, I love that book, Culture Map. How can they engage with you? How do they find you?
Elvis Filote:First of all, Lisa, thank you for the invitation. I really appreciate it. Yeah, would love to connect over LinkedIn and yeah, I love meeting leaders all over the globe and Leader Impact is a huge community and network of leaders, so hopefully we get to connect and share leadership life lessons.
Lisa Peters:Right. Awesome. Thank you, Elvis. It's been a great half hour. Well, if you're part of Leader Impact, you can always discuss or share this podcast with your group. And if you're not yet part of Leader Impact and would like to find out more and grow your leadership, find our podcast page on our website at leaderimpact. ca and check out our free leadership assessment. You will also find on our webpage chapter one of Braden Douglas's book Becoming a Leader of Impact. You can also check out groups available in Canada at leaderimpact. ca or, if you're listening from anywhere else in the world, check out leaderimpact. com or get in touch with us by email info@ leaderimpact. ca and we will connect you. And if you like this podcast, please leave us a comment, give us a rating or review. This will help other global leaders find our podcast. Thank you for engaging with us and remember impact starts with you.
