Which nationalities make the best bosses? Why Czech leaders are still catching up

A new study in the Journal of World Business, conducted by business schools in France, Denmark, and Spain has uncovered some surprising truths about leadership perceptions worldwide. It turns out that bosses from Western countries—especially the U.S. and Western Europe—are often seen as the gold standard for leadership.

The study underscores the “developed nation advantage,” where leaders from countries ranked lower on the UN Human Development Index, such as Poland, Albania, and Czechia are often overlooked—even when they’re just as qualified.

This preference for Western leaders raises important questions about its impact on hiring and promotion decisions in global workplaces. Despite Czechia’s growing status as an international business hub, local leaders from the region can face significant challenges when vying for leadership positions. While this preference may be unfair, it reflects more profound challenges within Czech leadership, shaped by cultural and historical legacies.

According to Dinah Spritzer, a Prague-based diversity and inclusion trainer, “Czech leadership has historically been shaped by the country’s communist past, where top-down authority structures dominated. This legacy has left a lasting impact on leadership styles, often emphasizing competition over cooperation and creating a cultural discomfort with feedback.”

Spritzer explains that Czech leaders, accustomed to a more hierarchical system, often struggle to adapt to environments that demand inclusivity, open communication, and adaptability—qualities central to Western leadership models.

Furthermore, the Czech education system has traditionally placed less emphasis on “soft skills” such as motivating teams or giving constructive feedback, which are key elements of leadership training in the West.

“Czech leadership is often seen as ‘shame-oriented,’ focusing on avoiding mistakes and fostering competition rather than collaboration. This can hinder communication and cooperation in larger organizations,” Spritzer adds.

In addition to these cultural and historical factors, Czech leaders also face significant gender-related challenges. Despite progress in some areas, the gender pay gap in the Czech Republic remains a substantial issue, with women earning 16 percent less than men on average. Furthermore, only 13 percent of managerial positions are held by women, which lags behind many other European countries.

“Women in leadership tend to build better teams, which is a crucial factor in today’s workplace,” Spritzer observes. “The upcoming pay transparency regulations may help shift the Czech leadership landscape by forcing companies to confront pay disparities and better integrate women into leadership roles.”

The European Union's Pay Transparency Directive, which came into effect in 2023, aims to tackle these disparities by requiring companies to report and address pay differences. Czech companies must implement these changes by 2026, presenting an opportunity for leadership to evolve. This directive addresses pay equity and requires employers to foster more inclusive work environments—an important step for improving gender equality in leadership.

Despite the shortcomings of Czech bosses, perceived or actual, the study also brings awareness to the clear bias toward Western leaders, which often overshadows local talent.

Yih-Teen Lee, one of the study’s lead researchers, explains, “Individuals from developed countries are often presumed to possess qualities associated with success, such as strong institutional backgrounds or advanced education. In multinational teams, this bias can lead to the underrepresentation of local talent, even when those candidates are equally capable.”

Lee goes on to say that the stereotype of Western leaders as the best doesn’t hold up in today’s globalized world. “Every team member, whether from Switzerland or South Sudan, should be judged on their leadership ability, not their country of origin,” he said.

Spritzer remains optimistic that change is on the horizon for Czech leadership. “There’s a growing awareness, and people here are eager to learn that how you deliver feedback matters as much as the outcome.”