My ex-MD once told me ‘I hired you not because you are tech-savvy, I have many engineers who are better in technical knowledge.” He wanted someone to add value/ skills and experiences that the team doesn’t already have … and he hired people from all over APAC because we are a regional team! So, whenever we come across an issue in India or Korea, there is always someone in the team who understands the culture, speak the language and can help the team navigate thru issues in that market.

Many managers are also afraid of diversity .. as much as they know they need it. I have heard many managers say, “oh, he’s too opinionated, very hard to control next time..”

I used to have an ex-colleague who reported to me and she’s totally opposite of me and we work very well together. She complemented my weaknesses very well!