There is no doubt that global economics has leveled the playing field around the world for many countries that previously did not participate in global growth. However, interpreting the unfolding of events in the 21st century as occurring in a flattened world, as is the case with fashionable “flat-earth” thinking, overlooks the more critical challenge that societies and individuals face working in this new economic environment: navigating the more formidable cultural mountains encountered on the global terrain. This presentation will explore some of the key cultural mountains that need to be overcome for global work success, and how cultural differences actually determine the roles that different countries play as they assume their place in the new global economy.