Leading Effective Teams for New & Existing Leaders
NESSIC 2-Day Workshop
Host School:
Collaboration Space of the High School (Building 3) Beigao Campus
No.2 Shunbai Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
北京市朝阳区顺白路2号启明星学校（西三门）北皋校区高中楼（3号楼）大厅
Date:
Fees:
Friday & Saturday, 19-20 April, 2025
CNY3100 per person inclusive of Workplace Behavioral Survey
*Please note that at this time we only accept individual or school group registrations within China for payments via CNY bank transfer. International wire transfer options will be available soon.
This immersive, certificate-awarding course (12 hours of professional development) is designed to empower subject and year-level leaders in bilingual schools across China. Join us to gain the tools and insights needed to transform your leadership approach, foster deep collaboration, and lead cross-cultural teams effectively.
As schools continue to grow in cultural diversity, leaders face the unique challenge of uniting teams with different cultural perspectives. This program equips participants to transition from task management to people-centered leadership. By strengthening relationships, setting clear expectations, and enhancing team collaboration, participants will drive outcomes that respect cultural differences and amplify team potential.
Essential Question:
How do I transition from ‘task manager’ to ‘leader of people’ in a cross-cultural team setting?
Over-Arching Goal:
By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how to foster strong, culturally aware relationships within their teams and create a collaborative environment that unites team members around shared goals.
Workshop Outcomes:
During this learning experience participants will learn and practice how to excel in the following aspects:
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Understand and adapt to different leadership expectations and styles, specifically transactional vs. transformational leadership in cross-cultural contexts.
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Communicate effectively to develop trust, empathy, and respect across cultural boundaries.
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Develop self-awareness and leverage it to lead with cultural sensitivity.
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Set compelling, culturally inclusive team goals and strategies that foster buy-in.
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Implement feedback and accountability practices that align with the team’s cultural dynamics.
The speaker will facilitate the workshop, meaning learning will be activated and reinforced through discussion and team planning, so participants must come prepared to talk about their teams and experience.
This workshop will be delivered in English.
Workshop Preparation:
Prior to the workshop, participants will need to complete a pre-workshop survey and the DiSC Workplace Behavioral Survey. These tools will deepen understanding of personal and cultural work styles, supporting effective communication and improved team cohesion.
DiSC Outcomes:
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Provides a common language for teams to understand each other’s cultural and behavioral patterns.
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Improves cross-cultural communication, confidence, and conflict resolution skills.
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Enhances participants' ability to influence and work cohesively in a culturally diverse team.
Programme Agenda
This programme is divided into four (4) modules, 2 modules will be covered on each day:
Module 1 - Defining Leadership in a Cross-Cultural Team
This module will help participants define their leadership role, establish a shared vision for the team (aligned with school vision), and create team norms that consider cultural diversity. Participants will learn how to engage team members with different cultural perspectives and create an inclusive vision that fosters shared commitment.
Essential Question:
How can I define my leadership role in a way that respects and engages diverse cultural perspectives within my team?
Learning Objectives:
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Define leadership roles: Distinguish between transactional and transformational leadership, emphasizing how cultural expectations influence these styles.
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Establish a shared vision: Craft a team vision that respects cultural differences while fostering team unity and engagement.
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Articulate culturally aware expectations for team engagement: Draft team norms that promote open communication, respect, and accountability, creating a safe space for diverse perspectives.
Module 2 - Collaborative Communication in Cross-Cultural Teams
To influence and motivate a cross-cultural team, leaders must adapt their style to different beliefs and communication preferences. This module leverages DiSC results to enhance cultural sensitivity in communication, helping leaders navigate diverse work styles and address potential cultural barriers.
Essential Question:
How can I adapt my communication and leadership style to bridge cultural differences and enhance my influence as a team leader?
Learning Objectives:
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Explore cross-cultural beliefs about leadership: Understand and accommodate diverse expectations and behaviors influenced by cultural backgrounds.
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Build a culturally adaptive communication toolkit: Develop active listening and assertive communication skills that honor cultural norms.
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Manage cultural differences in work styles: Recognize and leverage the strengths of diverse communication and work preferences.
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Address difficult behaviors with cultural awareness: Learn strategies for handling challenging team behaviors in a way that respects cultural sensitivities.
Module 3 - Setting Transformative Goals in a Cross-Cultural Environment
Establishing team goals in a culturally diverse team requires assessing team capacity and aligning individual, team, and school-wide objectives. This module guides participants in crafting culturally inclusive goals and developing strategies to ensure that diverse team members can contribute to achieving them.
Essential Question:
How can I align individual, team, and school objectives into a culturally inclusive team goal that my department has the capacity to achieve?
Learning Objectives:
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Assess team capacity for cross-cultural collaboration: Evaluate how cultural differences affect the team’s readiness to pursue shared goals.
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Create a safe "sandbox" for goal attainment: Learn strategies to protect the team from external pressures that may conflict with culturally sensitive objectives.
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Facilitate inquiry-based goal setting: Develop an inquiry-based approach that accommodates diverse cultural viewpoints and ensures goal relevance for all team members.
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Embrace iterative goal pursuit: Recognize the need for ongoing cultural adaptation and adjustment in pursuing team goals.
Module 4 - Navigating Cross-Cultural Difficult Conversations
Difficult conversations in cross-cultural teams can be challenging due to varying communication styles and assumptions. This module explores strategies for addressing sensitive topics, challenging assumptions respectfully, and fostering open, culturally aware dialogue.
Essential Question:
How can I address assumptions and facilitate challenging conversations in a way that preserves relationships and respects cultural norms?
Learning Objectives:
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Develop culturally sensitive communication skills: Learn how to approach difficult conversations with awareness of cultural nuances and assumptions.
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Understand the impact of assumptions in a cross-cultural context: Recognize how untested assumptions can undermine collaboration and respect.
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Facilitate respectful professional dialogue: Use culturally appropriate prompts to encourage dialogue and broaden perspectives.
Workshop Facilitator
Claire Peet
Claire Peet is an esteemed international education leader, renowned for her expertise in transformative coaching and driving positive change within educational settings. With over 16 years of experience in education, Claire has consistently demonstrated her unwavering commitment to fostering growth and empowering individuals to make and sustain change. As a professional coach, Claire works with educators and leaders one to one, whilst also giving back to the international education community through her Coaching in Education WeChat group and monthly webinars.
As a trusted partner to schools, Claire excels at aligning strategic priorities with professional development programming, with a specific focus on coaching and mentoring, and its impact on school improvement. Her unique blend of skills integrate people centric practices, learning and development, and leadership capacity building, all aimed at elevating standards and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the international education community.
Claire is widely recognized as a dynamic speaker and trainer. She possesses a wealth of knowledge in building learner and faculty engagement through the cultivation of relationships, trust, and effective communication. Claire's deep understanding of the critical link between well-being and achievement enables her to empower workshop participants to develop essential skills such as active listening, self-awareness, powerful questioning, and providing constructive feedback. By equipping individuals with these invaluable tools, Claire guides them through challenges, enhances their communication toolkit, and ultimately enables them to thrive in their professional endeavors.
About the Host School:
Founded in 2002, Daystar is a K-12 school in Beijing. It provides a first-class international curriculum and a balanced Chinese-English bilingual and bicultural education. The school continues to develop and expand, it now has three campuses; in Beigao, Sanlitun and Quanfa with approximately 1,000 students. As a bilingual school integrating the national curriculum and the IB and our bespoke Social Innovation Program, Daystar pays special attention to character education and cultivates students with social innovative mindset, giving them the courage to explore their own path, power to change the world, and confidence to inspire others.
Daystar Academy is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) along with being authorised as an IB Continuum school offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).
Daniel Williams
Head of School
Daystar Academy
Transportation:
From Beijing Capital International Airport: Take Taxi service in Airport (Highly recommended) OR take Konggang Bus 3 to Guozhan, transfer to Metro Line 15 to Maquanying, transfer to Bus 944 to Naidong gongyequ.
抵达北京首都国际机场：乘出租车（推荐）或乘空港3路至国展站，换乘地铁15号线地铁至马泉营站，乘944路公交至奶东工业区站下车即达。
From Beijing Daxing International Airport: Take Daxing Airport Express to Caoqiao, transfer to Metro Line 19 to Jingfengmen, transfer to Line 14 to Laiguangying, transfer to Bus 944 to Naidong Gongyequ.
抵达北京大兴国际机场：乘北京大兴国际机场线至草桥站，换乘地铁19号线至景风门站，换乘地铁14号线至来广营站，乘944公交至奶东工业区站下车即达。
From Beijing South Railway Station: Take Metro Line 14 to Laiguangying, transfer to Bus 944 to Naidong Gongyequ.
抵达北京南站：乘地铁14号线至来广营站，换乘944路公交至奶东工业区站下车即达。