Robert W. Selander, former president and CEO of MasterCard, was asked, “What are the most important leadership lessons you have learned?” He responded by describing some of his international experiences.

He explained how English ability isn’t necessarily reflective of managerial competence:

I was out visiting a branch [in Brazil]. . . . [Since] he was struggling with his English, the coin sort of dropped that this guy really knows what he’s talking about. He’s having a hard time getting it out. . . . I realized this was probably the best branch manager I’d seen, but it would have been very easy for me to think he wasn’t, because he couldn’t communicate as well as some of the others who were fluent in English.

Based on Selander’s comments and your own experiences, respond to the following questions:

A. In what ways might you misjudge the competence of others based on language skills?

B. What are several strategies to overcoming language barriers?

C. How can you improve your ability to be a good listener for those with limited English abilities?