Leading a global team means managing people across continents, languages, and cultures. You can't just copy a playbook from your home country. A decision-making style that works in New York (fast, consensus-optional, merit-based) may create resentment in Tokyo (slow, consensus-required, hierarchy-respecting). Cross-cultural leadership is: understanding cultural dimensions (Hofstede's model: power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, etc.), adapting communication style per region, handling disagreement across cultures, and building trust without shared physical space.