"In the company of a CEO you will inevitably deal with assumptions from others. But don’t overlook your own blind spot on situations, especially when you are in another country with other customs and values."
With our upcoming visit to China (Changzhou) I again had to recall the misunderstanding of September 2013 when we (my husband and I) were in China.
Despite the fact that during the many meetings I had been introduced in a proper way (through a PowerPoint presentation), it appeared not to be clear that I was the wife of the CEO. The next day I asked my husband and the interpreter to appoint me during the introduction specifically as the wife of the CEO, responsible for International Affairs.
What did happen after a number of days, to my astonishment? It was indeed initially thought that I was a ‘companion’ and an intimate friend of the General Manager /CEO. After all most of the Chinese businessmen leave their wives at home and hire a ‘companion’ during business travels who accompanies him to all meetings and events. Hence I was stigmatized in this way. Maybe my Indian looks have contributed to this as well? Who knows…
Peculiar was also that in the minutes of the meeting later in that same week I was particularly mentioned as the wife of the CEO. Our interpreter showed me the explicit Chinese characters for my further reassurance.
Being visible, being supportive, being his sparring partner, being inspiring... Any woman, married to a business leader, realizes this role could lead to insecurity; she might also become a burden rather than a blessing. If you want to be more happy in this role: learn to take your stage!
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