The case follows the story of Brazilian business leader, Ricardo Semler, who took the family marine-pump business, Semco, to multi-national, multi-sector success. To do so, Ricardo Semler dramatically changed his own leadership style by relinquishing control and working less hard, and subsequently transformed the culture at Semco via a radical process of workplace democratisation. Finally, he applied the same leadership principles successfully to other industries: hotels, education, and banking.

Research focused on Japan and America shows that a seemingly simple concept, the apology, is interpreted very differently by different cultures. Only by understanding such differences can executives use it as a tool for facilitating negotiations, resolving conflicts, and repairing trust--of increasing importance in today's global world.

Fresh research shows that people who've lived abroad are more creative problem solvers and effectively better managers.