Growing Up Between Worlds: What Third Culture Kids Teach Us About Adaptation and Global Leadership
Toscan Bennett seen with the Mitsubishi Colt world car which he helped bring to market in a cross-cultural project team.
In my recent conversation with Toscan Bennett, an automotive executive who had worked on 11 different brands including Jeep, Volvo, Ferrari, Mitsubishi and more, I was reminded how profoundly a global upbringing shapes the way a person sees the world. Toscan’s story is not only compelling on a personal level. It also illuminates broader truths about cultural adaptation, global leadership, and the persistent tension between headquarters and local markets. In many ways, I saw myself reflected in our conversation topics.
As someone who has spent much of my own career navigating international environments, I found myself reflecting on how his experiences align with what we know about third culture kids, cross cultural fluency, and the realities of global business.
Life as a Third Culture Kid
Toscan described himself as a third culture kid, although he only learned the term later in life. Born in Vietnam, raised across Asia and Latin America, and the son of a diplomat, he grew up in a world where borders were fluid and cultural transitions were constant. What struck me was how naturally he described this experience. It was not exotic to him. It was simply life.
This is one of the defining characteristics of third culture kids. They develop a sense of belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They are comfortable with difference, quick to adapt, and often highly observant of cultural nuance. Yet they also face a unique challenge. When it comes time to settle down, they may not feel rooted in any one place. Toscan articulated this tension clearly. He spoke about the openness and flexibility that his upbringing gave him, but also the lingering question of where home truly is. These words impacted me profoundly for I have often felt the same as a result of many relocations, domestic and international.
In global organizations, this background becomes an asset. People like Toscan often serve as natural bridges between cultures. They can decode subtle signals, anticipate misunderstandings, and navigate ambiguity with ease. These are not learned skills. They are lived skills.
Adapting to New Cultures
Throughout his career, Toscan worked across continents and corporate cultures. What stood out to me was how consistently he emphasized curiosity, humility, and relationship building as the foundation for adaptation.
He shared stories of working with Italians at Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, Americans at Chrysler, Japanese colleagues at Mitsubishi, Germans at Daimler, Swedes at Volvo, and Vietnamese leadership at VinFast. Each environment required a different approach. Each demanded a different understanding of hierarchy, communication, and decision making.
One example that stayed with me was his onboarding at Volvo. Human Resources explained that employees there not only felt empowered to challenge decisions they disagreed with. They felt obligated to do so. This was a stark contrast to the top down cultures he had experienced elsewhere. It required a shift in mindset. Decisions could not simply be announced. They had to be socialized, discussed, and aligned. Consensus was not a preference. It was a requirement. I can attest to Toscan’s observations as I had lived through similar situations at Volvo Cars in Gothenburg.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was VinFast, where decisions were made and implemented at breathtaking speed. The pace was faster than anything he had seen in China, which is already known for rapid execution. This environment demanded agility, resilience, and a willingness to pivot quickly. Once again, Toscan’s words struck home. Coincidentally, we had both spent time working for VinFast though at different points in time.
These examples reinforce a broader truth. Cultural adaptation is not about changing who you are. It is about understanding what the environment values and adjusting your approach so that you can be effective within it.
The Tension Between Headquarters and Local Markets
Anyone who has worked in a multinational organization knows the familiar friction between headquarters and local offices. Headquarters often assumes that what works in the home market should work everywhere. Local teams know that this is rarely the case.
Toscan described this tension vividly through his experience at Chrysler in the 1990s. As the company reentered Europe, Detroit leadership viewed the continent as a single market. They underestimated the cultural, regulatory, and infrastructure differences between countries. They sent expats who lacked international experience and expected American processes to translate directly.
The reality on the ground was very different. European customers had different expectations for performance, safety, and comfort. Engineers in Detroit could not fully grasp these differences until they experienced them firsthand. Toscan organized test drives on German Autobahns at night in the rain. Only then did the engineers understand why headlights needed to be brighter, why wipers needed to be stronger, and why wind noise mattered at high speeds.
This story captures the essence of the headquarters versus local dynamic. Headquarters seeks standardization. Local markets demand adaptation. The most successful global organizations find a balance between the two.
Cross Cultural Collaboration in Product Development
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was Toscan’s description of the Mitsubishi Colt project. It brought together Japanese engineers, German designers, American planners, and French creative leadership. The cultural mix was as complex as the engineering itself.
He described the Daimler culture as hierarchical and precise, the Japanese culture as humble yet proud, and the Chrysler culture as fast moving and improvisational. The French design influence added another layer of complexity. The only way to make this collaboration work was through relentless communication, trust building, and a shared focus on customer needs.
This is a powerful reminder that global collaboration is not simply a matter of assembling talent from different countries. It requires intentional effort to bridge cultural expectations and working styles. Without that effort, even the most promising alliances can falter.
The Human Side of Global Careers
Behind every international assignment is a personal story. Toscan spoke openly about the challenges of integrating into a headquarters environment after years abroad. He described feeling like a foreigner in his own country, with colleagues unsure how to interpret his background and experience.
He also spoke about the family dimension. International careers often require difficult choices, including periods of separation. What made it work for him was a shared commitment within the family, a clear end date for any separation, and a willingness to embrace the culture of each new place rather than staying within an expat bubble.
This is an important reminder that global careers are not only professional journeys. They are deeply personal ones.
What Leaders Can Learn
Listening to Toscan, I was reminded of several principles that apply to anyone working in a global context.
Openness is a strength. Third culture kids learn this early, but anyone can cultivate it.
Experience beats assumption. Headquarters must see local realities firsthand.
Culture shapes everything. Decision making, communication, and collaboration all flow from cultural norms.
Adaptation is not optional. It is a requirement for effectiveness.
Networks matter. Careers are built on relationships that span countries and years.
Change is constant. As Toscan said, change is inevitable. The only real choice is whether to resist it or embrace it.
Closing Thoughts
My conversation with Toscan was a reminder of how interconnected our world has become and how essential cultural fluency is for modern leadership. His journey illustrates the power of curiosity, the value of lived experience, and the importance of building bridges across cultures.
For anyone navigating a global career, his advice is simple and profound. Embrace change. Build your network. Stay open to the world. And when you find yourself between cultures, remember that this space in between is not a disadvantage. It is a source of strength.
John Jörn Stech
The Auto Ethnographer