Welcome back to The Amazing Race Series!

As those who have been reading this blog for awhile know, my passion is global business and I love to travel and interact with different people from different places.  Everywhere I go (and I have lived, worked or traveled to over 90 countries), I truly enjoy observing distinct cultures and taking away lessons learned from every place and every culture I interact with.  In fact, a good deal of my life’s work is based on this very concept.

I have frequently done business in Japan throughout my career, specifically Tokyo. It is interesting how the country and the culture have changed over time, but beneath its surface lies an extremely productive and effective society.

To the outsider – or gaijin, as we are known to the locals – Japanese business customs appear to be so deeply entrenched in culture and tradition that they couldn’t possibly be applicable to the rest of the world. But don’t be too quick to write off the value that Japanese business practices offer the rest of the world…

As those who have been reading this blog for a while know, my passion is global business. I love to travel and interact with different people from different places.  Everywhere I go (and I have lived, worked or traveled to over 90 countries), I truly enjoy observing distinct cultures and taking away lessons learned from each place and every culture I engage with.  In

fact, a good deal of my life’s work is based on this very concept.

Recently, while attending Board Meetings in Vienna, I had the privilege of engaging with several colleagues – global executives and academic experts – to discuss some rather interesting views relating to the differences in business perspectives between Eastern Europe and the rest of the world.  It became interesting as the various views on doing business in different regions shifted… but today, Vienna:

Vienna is a beautiful city filled with exquisite buildings, powerful opera halls, sophisticated clothing and incredible art. The Viennese people themselves, without a doubt, embody “Culture” with a Capital C. From high art to street art, from music to theater, ballroom dance to interpretive movement, architecture to fashion – it’s all there…and it’s simply a way of life.

It is fascinating to find the city’s great landmarks are (literally) lived in, not just admired. While aesthetic and cultural traditions are highly respected, they have also grown and changed with the times. Just as Viennese youth still learn to waltz in preparation for Viennese Ball Season, moving in the same coordinated steps as the generations that came before, so too do they move through the city with a purpose that is determined to ensure Vienna becomes an economic powerhouse with unlimited business opportunities as they move into their future.

Of all the amazing experiences I have been so fortunate to have, across many different boundaries and borders, one of my very favorites is the unique opportunity to walk with lions in Zimbabwe.  While canoeing down the river Sabi (avoiding the hippos) was exciting, going on an elephant safari proved adventurous, visiting Victoria Falls was amazing and staying in the historic, luxurious Victoria Falls Hotel was, well… historic and luxurious, nothing compares to walking with lions. Many of you probably think I must be crazy – who wants to walk with wild lions? But this was a fascinating opportunity that offered many insights – and besides, how many chances do you get to walk with lions?

As I watched the lions approach, with only a walking stick and a prayer, I wondered how I would engage these powerful creatures and what I could learn from them…