FREE WEBINAR
Why a ‘Western’ Lens Could Stall Your Career
The assumptions that helped you succeed may be the very ones holding you back.
As global power shifts, the assumptions shaping your decisions could become your greatest professional liability.
Led by Dr Paul Hayman | International Relations scholar and executive educator
60 minutes · Online · Free registration
FORMAT
Live online
DURATION
60 minutes
DATE
21 October 2026
14:00-15:30 BST
AUDIENCE
Senior leaders
FEE
FREE
THE CHALLENGE
What if the way you’ve learned to see the world is holding you back?
Many successful professionals have built their careers around assumptions about leadership, power, progress and decision-making that are deeply rooted in Western experience.
But these assumptions are not universal.
As economic and political influence shifts, leaders increasingly encounter organisations, governments and individuals who operate according to different priorities, expectations and understandings of the world.
The danger isn’t having a ‘Western’ perspective. It’s failing to recognise how and when that perspective becomes a limitation.
THREE COMMON BLINDSPOTS
01
Assuming everyone defines success the same way
What looks like an obvious commercial or strategic opportunity to you may carry very different political, institutional or reputational costs for someone else.
02
Mistaking your priorities for universal priorities
Efficiency, transparency and individual autonomy may be central to your decision-making, but other environments may place greater emphasis on stability, relationships or collective obligations.
03
Misreading how power really works
Formal authority, organisational charts and contractual agreements don’t always reveal where influence sits, how decisions are made or who ultimately matters.
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY
See beyond the assumptions. Think beyond the familiar.
In this 60-minute session, we’ll challenge some of the assumptions that shape how professionals interpret the world, assess opportunities and make decisions.
Through real-world examples and practical reflection, you’ll explore four questions:
01
What is a ‘Western Lens’?
Discover how familiar ideas about power, progress, rationality and leadership shape the way you interpret the world.
02
When does it become a blind spot?
Explore situations in which seemingly reasonable assumptions lead to misjudgements about people, institutions and strategic priorities.
03
What could it be costing you?
Consider how unexamined assumptions can undermine professional influence, decision-making and the ability to recognise emerging opportunities.
04
How do you think differently?
Learn practical ways to question your assumptions, interpret unfamiliar perspectives and develop more adaptable strategic judgement.
THE OUTCOME?
A different way of approaching the world: more questioning, more adaptable and better equipped to navigate complexity.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
For professionals whose ambitions extend beyond familiar boundaries.
This webinar is designed for ambitious professionals who want to strengthen their judgement, challenge conventional thinking and navigate an increasingly complex global environment.
It will be particularly relevant to:
➜ Senior managers and emerging leaders
preparing for greater responsibility in internationally connected organisations.
➜ Executives and business professionals
working across borders, markets, cultures and competing strategic priorities.
➜ Strategy, risk and compliance professionals
making decisions shaped by geopolitical uncertainty and unfamiliar institutional environments.
➜ Public policy and international affairs professionals engaging with different political systems, institutions and approaches to power.
No specialist knowledge of international relations is required.
YOUR PRESENTER
Dr Paul Hayman
International relations scholar and executive educator
Dr Paul Hayman is an International Relations scholar, university lecturer and executive educator with extensive experience helping professionals understand complex political and international issues.
His work focuses on the relationship between global power, political assumptions and strategic decision-making, exploring how established ways of thinking can obscure emerging risks and opportunities.
Through Northrey Executive Education, he brings academic insight into practical conversations about leadership, judgement and decision-making in a changing world.
LL.B (Hons) · MA · PhD · FHEA
REGISTER
Join the conversation.
Challenge your assumptions.
A 60-minute webinar for professionals who want to make better decisions in a changing world.
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