You Can't Lead With Your Feet On the Desk: Building Relationships, Breaking Down Barriers, and Delivering Profits

Ed Fuller, President and Managing Director for Marriott International’s lodging division and  author of the upcoming book, "You Can't Lead with Your Feet on the Desk," was at a corporate meeting at Marriott International Inc.'s Washington, D.C. headquarters on January 31, 2011 when events in Egypt took a turn for the worst.

Ed Fuller quickly decided to turn his beliefs about leadership into practice. Fuller flew from Washington to his home in Orange County, California to repack for the Middle East. Fuller stated in a recent interview with the Honolulu Star Advertiser, "None of the seven hotels that Marriott manages in Egypt have been damaged, and none of the guests or employees have been seriously injured." You can read the full article here. In his interview, Ed Fuller comments from Cairo - "I have always believed in the philosophy that you lead by example. If our hotels are involved, I believe I have to be there to support our people." 

Dealing with employees, partners, suppliers and customers especially from other cultures calls for considerable sensitivity; customs and practices must be acknowledged and respected. Yet the real secret to managing in any culture is much simpler - it all revolves around the integrity of the personal relationships being forged.

Personal relationships are the real bedrock of long-term success in any business and any industry. But in today's global economy, forging bonds across cultural divides requires a heightened level of sensitivity. In YOU CAN’T LEAD WITH YOUR FEET ON YOUR DESK (Wiley; 9780470879610; March 2011; Hardcover; $29.95), author Ed Fuller, leader of Marriott International Lodging, delivers real-world advice on how to connect, manage, and do business with people in any culture.

Fuller grew Marriott's international business from sixteen hotels in six countries, grossing $325 million to 400 properties across seventy countries  with revenues of nearly $7 billion. Fuller explains how he built Marriott's global arm into one of the world's largest international hotel chains and provides real-life lessons for managers in any cross-cultural situation.

Gleaned from real-life anecdotes over his 37 year history in corporate America, Ed Fuller explains how to navigate cultural nuances and language differences, unfamiliar geography, and frustrating bureaucracy. Building trust, shared values, and commitment to a business partnership is harder in cross-cultural situations, but it can and must be done to be successful in today's world.

No matter the country or community, relationships are the currency of every culture. Fuller explains how to build these relationships, how to discover the other person's interests and needs across cultural borders and why making the effort to meet the other person in the context in which they're most comfortable pays big dividends. Fuller prepares readers for this journey with the following principles for avoiding missteps and for creating lasting connections crucial to every business leader:

• Build relationships through mutual respect
• Earn trust quickly by delivering during a crisis
• Understand how verbal and nonverbal cues can make or break a deal
• Lead from the front and be willing to give yourself the tough jobs
• Learn the local customs and history in order to create positive relationships

Ed Fuller knows what it takes to form cultural ties.  YOU CAN’T LEAD WITH YOUR FEET ON YOUR DESK gives readers the information they need to build a cross cultural competitive advantage.