The author of the book "Global Dexterity: How to Adapt Your Behavior Across Cultures Without Losing Yourself in the Process," Molinsky draws on his years of field research, teaching, and consulting to advise managers who must learn to adapt to a new culture. He focuses on how people practice new behaviors in actual situations, such as speaking up in a meeting or giving performance feedback, rather than on the differences between cultures. He suggests an approach that consists of three stages: (1) Figure out what the cultural norms are and how they differ from the home culture in directness, enthusiasm, formality, assertiveness, self-promotion, and self-disclosure. (2) Figure out what the "zone of appropriateness" is in the new culture for each of those six dimensions. (3) Once you know what adaptations you can (and are willing) to make, practice them to develop "muscle memory." Certain psychological barriers may arise in the process. People get anxious about whether they're being authentic, or they feel incompetent and worry that others see them that way, or they become resentful of the hard and stressful work of adapting. But they often learn something interesting about themselves, Molinsky says, and that can be exciting.

Over the past decade companies have become more global and employee groups more diverse than ever before. Organizations are less hierarchical and more collaborative. And today's offices are full of once unimaginable technological distractions. We asked experts in cross-cultural communication, information networks, and the science of attention what skills executives should cultivate to tackle these new challenges. Molinsky thinks that managers must overcome psychological barriers in order to act in ways that other cultures find appropriate. Davenport and Iyer explain why the devolution of hierarchy has increased the value of building and wielding influence through digital networks, and offer tips for how to do it. And Davidson tells managers to get over their fears about distraction and embrace the brain's natural tendency to divide attention.

Central to the work of leaders and professionals are tasks that entail harming one party to deliver benefits or advance valued and worthy goals. Sometimes a person must, as part of his or her job, perform an act that causes emotional, material, or physical harm to another human being in the service of achieving a greater good or purpose. Examples in management include firing people, laying people off, delivering bad news, delivering negative performance feedback, and, in medicine, performing a painful procedure. Through a series of introspective questions, punctuated by small group discussions and concluding with a large group discussion of insights, students and practicing professionals are better equipped to manage the challenges of necessary evils.