‘Give cultural diversity a voice.’ Through the programme I learnt that It's not just about having diversity, but about ensuring everyone can share their ideas and concerns.
Cynthia de Jager’s journey through the Leading Across Borders and Cultures reflects her exceptional expertise in international collaboration and cultural diversity. With a background as a professional swimmer, Cynthia’s early exposure to different cultures during her athletic career laid the foundation for her 20+ years of work in intercultural collaboration across corporate and sports organisations.
“I’ve built an expertise in intercultural and international collaboration, drawing on my experiences in sports and corporate environments,” Cynthia shared. Her company, Cvolution, which she founded eight years ago, exemplifies this expertise. Through partnerships and workshops, Cynthia empowers organisations—whether they’re professional football clubs or multinational corporations—to bridge cultural gaps and enhance collaboration.
Her approach is refreshingly pragmatic: “My trainings aren’t about making you an expert in a day—it’s about creating awareness . It’s about recognising your own cultural lens and learning to adapt for better collaboration.”
The tendency to point fingers—saying ‘those people are different’—instead of reflecting on your own approach is a common hurdle.
Cynthia’s prior experience at ING Global reinforced the importance of cultural awareness. “I assumed that working in Brussels, just next door to the Netherlands, would be straightforward—we share a language, and we’re neighbours. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My early mistakes taught me that good intentions, experience and common sense aren’t enough. Real improvement requires understanding the data and specifics of cultural differences.”
Cynthia cites Erin Meyer’s research as a cornerstone of her work, particularly in improving collaboration across cultures. “I discovered Erin’s work over a decade ago and have since incorporated her insights into global organisations like ING.” Today, she helps organisations tackle modern challenges like those posed by outsourcing, where misaligned expectations can hinder effective teamwork. “Companies often hand over processes to teams halfway across the globe, assuming understanding will come naturally. The reality is often different.” Chuckling, she shared that many leadership teams asked her point-blank, "How do I work with people from this another country?"
Her findings on building psychological safety and understanding decision-making processes across cultures have been transformative.
Looking back on her experience in the Leading Across Borders and Cultures programme, Cynthia reflects on the rich learning environment it provided. Dutch professionals, she shared as an example, often stand out on Erin Meyer’s culture map for their distinct approach to feedback, leadership, and communication and this was a cultural profile that she was familiar with: “Before the programme, I had been working predominantly with diverse teams with leaders from Netherlands, focusing on cultural awareness within the Dutch context. But the INSEAD programme introduced me to perspectives from places like Singapore, the US, and Saudi Arabia, which was incredibly enriching.”
Though the programme was held virtually during the pandemic, Cynthia found the experience remarkably engaging. “It felt like a ‘bubble’ for the eight days—intense, focused, and fully immersive. The condensed nature of the programme allowed us to work closely together, even with the time zone challenges.”
Looking back, Cynthia felt the programme provided her with more than just knowledge—it gave her valuable insights into her own role as a coach. “I realised that my perspective was a bit different because in my role I was often the one needing to highlight the importance of cultural awareness to senior management teams and persuade her stakeholders to invest in cultural trainings. In contrast, many of the participants were more focused on their own personal struggles with intercultural collaboration.”
Cynthia and her cohort have maintained a strong connection since completing the programme. “A year after graduation, my training partner and also classmate of the program Daicka Gruisen and I organised an online meeting with our cohort to celebrate our certification and discuss the challenges we had overcome in the past year. It’s my hope to meet the rest of the cohort in person someday soon— it might logistically need to be a world tour!”
This diversity in perspectives was incredibly enriching and gave me deeper insights into how I can approach the mind space of my stakeholders to work with greater empathy and effectiveness.
Upon completing the programme, Cynthia noticed significant shifts in how she structured her team and coached others. “One of the key lessons from Erin was to make the information more digestible. Before the programme, I wanted to share everything I had learned all at once—about cultural dimensions, interventions, and exercises. But Erin taught me to break it down into manageable chunks, understanding that real change doesn’t happen overnight.”
Cynthia recognised that, rather than overwhelming her audience with information, it was crucial to take a step-by-step approach. “I learned to go through the customer journey slowly. This change has made me more relaxed and effective in my coaching. It’s about pacing the journey, not rushing it.” It has led to a profound shift in her approach to leadership and core training philosophy.
‘Give cultural diversity a voice.’ Through the programme I learnt that It's not just about having diversity, but about ensuring everyone can share their ideas and concerns.
For anyone considering the programme, Cynthia advised: “Take it seriously. Creating that ‘bubble’ during the programme is important because it’s not just about the information you absorb, but also the connections you make with your peers. Don’t let yourself get distracted by other work. Be fully focused and engaged. The collaborative experience of working with leaders from all over the world is invaluable.”
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