What are some examples of how different leadership and/or motivational approaches should be considered for different countries?

As a leader, it is essential to understand the cultural differences that exist between different countries and their working styles. In order to better understand how to lead and motivate people from different countries, I would strongly recommend you take a look at Hofstede's cultural dimensions.

In this framework, Hofstede describes the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behavior.

For example, let's compare the appropriate leadership style required for people in the US and Japan. (I have attached the link to the comparison below.)

If we look at the dimension Individualism, we can see that the US nearly doubles the score of Japan (91 and 42, respectively). This implies that people in the US love the idea of being unique, whereas in Japan people may prefer working with a team and unity. Similarly, we can see that Japan doubles the score of the US in Uncertainty Avoidance, which implies that Japanese businesspeople may be very conservative in regards to risk-taking decisions.

Therefore, if we look at these results from the perspective of a leader, one would be able to lead and motivate individuals in the US by rewarding individual creativity. In contrast, one would need to understand the importance of unity and teamwork when leading people in Japan. In fact, there is a Japanese saying that perfectly embodies the importance of conformity in their culture: "The nail that sticks out will be hammered".