Kyle Hegarty - The Accidental Business Nomad: A Survival Guide for Working Across a Shrinking Planet

First published in 2020 by Nicholas Brealey Publishing

An imprint of John Murray Press

An Hachette UK company

Copyright Kyle D. Hegarty 2020

Epigraph on page 35 taken from Liars Poker by Michael Lewis, courtesy of

W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Epigraph on page 119 courtesy of Diana David Wu

Epipraph on page 183 taken from Anthony Bourdain Thinks Youre Crazy for Eating Airplane Food by Belle Cushing, published by Bon Apptit, May 9, 2016, courtesy of Cond Nast.

The right of Kyle D. Hegarty to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019957576

US eBook ISBN 978-1-5293-2910-0

UK eBook ISBN 978-1-5293-2908-7

www.nbuspublishing.com

In an age when the time to read books is getting fierce competition from the magnetic pull of the mobile screen, we need to know that a book we are thinking of picking up is really worth reading. This book is! Beautiful writing. Important message. Relevant topic. And did I say beautifully written? Read it.

Fredrik Haren, global keynote speaker and author of the bestseller The Idea Book

Relatable, candid and hilariously true!

Ritu G. Mehrish, global speaker and author of Leaders Block

Culture shock. Immersion. Authenticity. Reconciliation. Success. Kyles book The Accidental Business Nomad is not only an adventurous tale of entrepreneurship but a guide to navigating the new world where East and West come together on a daily basis.

Dr. Parag Khanna, author of The Future is Asian

This is the Indiana Jones of international business.

Csaba Toth, author of Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times

Kyle Hegartys new book The Accidental Business Nomad really resonates. Kyle is a seasoned business executive with a great sense of humor, a healthy dose of self-deprecation, and a keen instinct about how to cross cultures effectively. A fun and insightful read!

Andy Molinsky, Ph.D., award-winning author of Global Dexterity and Reach

If you wish for a beer chat with an experienced intercultural dealmaker before you take your business from West to East or vice-versa, here is your chance. Kyles stories of global business tribulations and triumphs will give you the clarity you need.

Gbor Holch, East-West leadership consultant, author, and speaker

Kyle Hegartys new book, The Accidental Business Nomad, is definitely in the cant-put-it-down category. Hegarty engages the reader in some of the most complex communication issues of our global economy. He takes us from culture shock to cultural competency with colorful examples that make us laugh and cringe at the same time. Using his extensive business experience in Asia, he highlights the cross-cultural challenges involved in working globally and take us from ignorance to mastery. His entertaining style uses the power of storytelling and the expertise of academic research to engage and educate. Hegarty defuses the multiple landmines of globalization that too often remain invisible to aspiring businesses and account for their failure.

Deborah Levine, founder and editor-in-chief of the American Diversity Report

Cultural differences, which may be charming on holiday, are far less so when your salary depends on understanding them. There is no substitute for doing your research, but in this easy to read account of his struggles, [Kyle] generously allows the reader to learn from his own mistakesand hopefully make less of their own.

Patti McCarthy, author of Cultural Chemistry: Simple Strategies for Bridging Cultural Gaps

A much-needed survival guide for any global leader who has left a board meeting, team call or conversation feeling like they didnt hit the mark.

Diana Wu David, author of Future Proof

Wise and funny, this book is packed with sage advice and keen insights gained from the authors hard-won experience.

Henry Laurence, associate professor of Government at Bowdoin College

To my father. The real international entrepreneur of the family

This adventure could not have happened without the patience and support of my wife Leah and my two young boys who had to put up with my vacant stares and many weekends hiding away writing and editing. Leah, you were the accidental editor who saved my story lines. Special thanks to my family back in the US who have always been globally minded and to my mother for making sure I took the leap to study abroad many years ago. Im grateful to my in-laws, especially Anne who was my first unofficial editor and cheerleader.

Thanks to my agent Leah Spiro who took a risk on a crazy guy rambling about slap dragons. My editors, Alison Hankey from Nicholas Brealey who somehow understood what I was trying to say, DeeDee Slewka who helped me say it, and Iain Campbell and his team for getting some of these more colorful stories past the legal department. To my friends who endured my endless ramblings and who gave guidance and encouragement. A thank you to all of the clients and partners who wrestled alongside me as we worked through these global challenges and whose shared experiences helped form the backbone of this book. Also, thank you to all the people who went through that internship program. You all took a massive chance and its been fantastic to watch so many of you move on to great careers, especially those of you who started your own businesses. This has been one hell of a journey and I cant wait to start the next one.

We use generalizations all the time to describe groups of people. The Chinese exchange business cards with two hands, tech companies are always doing things this way, men always say things like that, well, shes a millennial, so and so on. Theres a fine line between constructive generalizing and malicious stereotyping. The problem is knowing where the line is. Heres an example.

I led a workshop in Mumbai where the organizer said the day would start at 8 am. Yeah, right. Nothing in India starts on time, certainly not 8 am. I rolled in at 8:15 to find a room packed with attendees patiently waiting for me. Ugh. I was guilty of taking a generalization about the lack of timeliness in India and converting it into a stereotype. I didnt mean to, but I did.

This book is about what its like doing business across the globe and across cultures. One of the big conclusions I draw is that data-driven generalizations about different working styles can help people understand and adjust to different work situations. There is data that shows that India is more time-flexible than the US. We can probably agree on this. But it doesnt mean you should show up late.