Vietnam has become an increasingly attractive destination for international leaders, but success requires far more than just technical expertise.

According to cross-cultural leadership expert Julie Sivan, foreign leaders must pivot from rigid global mindsets toward local adaptation to truly unlock their team’s potential.

Here are five critical mistakes foreign leaders should avoid when leading in Vietnam.

1. Neglecting first impressions

In Vietnam, first impressions can define your leadership before you’ve even had a chance to lead.

Establishing credibility from day one starts with showing genuine respect for Vietnam’s workplace culture.

That begins with doing the necessary “homework”: Learning how to pronounce colleagues’ names correctly and understanding the appropriate honorifics based on age and seniority.

These seemingly small gestures are essential for building cultural empathy.

Overlooking these details can erode a leader's influence before their work even begins.

2. Misunderstanding the role of hierarchy

Julie’s analogy challenges one of the biggest assumptions foreign leaders bring to Vietnam.

While hierarchy is often viewed as a “wall” in Western workplaces, in Vietnam it is better understood as a “roof.”

It provides protection, stability and support.

Employees don’t just expect someone to manage them, they expect someone to guide, mentor and advocate for them.

That expectation carries several important responsibilities:

• Provide clear direction: Teams look to leaders to set the course. Ambiguity can be interpreted as a lack of leadership rather than an invitation for autonomy.

• Act as a shield: A "roof" protects those beneath it. Advocate for your team against external pressures and take responsibility for collective setbacks.

• Prioritise mentorship: Leadership is closely tied to developing others. Coaching and supporting your team is not an optional extra.

For foreign leaders, success comes from embracing hierarchy as a responsibility, not a privilege.

3. Not mastering the nuances of communication

Successful leadership in Vietnam requires moving beyond literal interpretations of language.

In this high-context culture, what remains unsaid is often as significant as what is spoken:

• Protecting ‘face’: Public criticism or blunt feedback can be perceived as a personal attack. Difficult conversations are often more effective when handled privately and delivered with diplomacy

• Decoding silence: Silence in meetings rarely signals passive agreement. It is often a mechanism to avoid public discord or show respect for authority

• Aligning in private: Group meetings build alignment; one-to-one conversations build trust

In Vietnam, understanding context can be just as valuable as choosing the right words.

4. Operating on autopilot

A common pitfall for new leaders is assuming that global strategies that worked elsewhere will work in Vietnam.

Julie describes this as being on "autopilot," relying on "copy-paste" knowledge and expecting immediate results without accounting for local nuances.

Vietnam’s rich culture demands a deep adaptation. 

For Julie, that means being willing to unlearn familiar habits and adapt “rather than go against the tide.”

The goal isn’t to abandon global experiences, but adapt them to achieve local resonance.

"Leadership is what I call the deeper layer of culture," she notes, "people most of the time don't really think about this when they arrive."

5. Prioritising quick wins over trust

In many global markets, performance builds trust. In Vietnam, trust comes first.

Trust is the essential currency that must be accumulated before performance can flourish.

According to Julie, this trust is forged in the "informal environment," through quick coffee catchups, shared lunches, and social gatherings where a leader's personality can shine.

Consistency in these personal interactions signals reliability, allowing a leader to transition from an outsider to a trusted figure within the professional circle.

Only then does the pace of results accelerate.

Ultimately, success in Vietnam is a long-term investment in relationships and cultural adaptation. By unlearning old habits and embracing local intelligence, foreign leaders can unlock the true potential of their teams.