cultural-intelligence(9/0)
Culture is a series of concentric circles
Distinction between the mix of cultural, familial, and individual characteristics helps entrepreneurs avoid mistakes and stereotypes. Every individual is a combination of culture, family, and personality. Upon meeting your first Hindu, you may come to a number of conclusions that must be sorted into at least these categories to be accurate. You may learn she is a vegetarian and assume no Hindu eats meat. This is only partly true; it’s likely a familial decision that has its roots in a religious culture.…
Four pillars of cultural intelligence
Four questions guide any leader in their approach to a cross-cultural encounter. Livermore lists four questions to summarize the four pillars of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and help leaders navigate cross-cultural situations. The questions are: What’s it going to take to motivate you? What do you need to know? What’s your plan? What behaviors should you adapt? (Livermore, pg. 31) The first hints at why you care about another’s cultural differences.…
Persevere in cultural intelligence
Motivation, or drive, is necessary for the improvement of cultural intelligence (CQ). The intangibles of cultural intelligence (CQ) are equally important as a leader develops their intercultural skills. Before knowledge becomes useful or intuition kicks in, a leader must have the motivation to take the often more challenging route to understand and accommodate another culture. Influence may be a leader’s reason, for a culturally adept person stands out in the new economy more than ever.…
Cultural intelligence is crucial for todays leaders
Cultural intelligence (CI) may be the deciding factor in 21st-century leadership. “Nearly 90 percent of leading executives from sixty-eight countries named cross-cultural leadership as the top management challenge for the next century (Livermore, pg. 14).” Livermore’s research, which aggregates this surprising statistic, indicates that the leaders who can navigate the intercultural landscape will be the most valuable asset to any company in the 21st century. Charisma and efficiency may top the charts on most U.…
Cultural understanding cannot replace relational insight
Cultural preparation is ephemeral, individual relationship is concrete. At the conclusion of Livermore’s extensive research of ten global cultural clusters, he reminds us that individuals have unique mixes of cultural and sub-cultural values. Cultural preparation, no matter the quantity, is useful for general predictions only and one should “move as quickly as possible beyond broad cultural stereotypes” (Livermore, pg. 89). For example, the hippie movement of the 1960’s was a collectivist, cooperative movement in a culture renown for individualism and competitive spirit.…
Customer facing roles need higher cultural intelligence
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is applicable in every interaction because each individual is a unique blend of cultural values, even in a homogeneous setting. Whether meeting with a friend one’s known for years or asking directions of a stranger, one’s success rate rises where he applies CQ. Nevertheless, not every interaction requires the same level of motivation, preparation, or focus. In the same way, every role in a company benefits from CQ, but there are some roles for which CQ is a deciding factor to success.…
Know when to mimick the host culture
Culturally intelligent leaders modify their actions to better fit the culture of those they interact with, without mimicking the other culture entirely. Leaders who grow in Cultural Intelligence (CQ) constantly develop their cultural skills. They read insightful books about other cultures. They observe how people around them act, and reflect on other’s responses. Before an expected cultural encounter, they prepare themselves to be culturally sensitive and watchful. When a high CQ leader does interact, what does it look like?…
Pseudo cultural experience does not build cultural intelligence
Pseudo-cultural experiences do not build cultural intelligence, and may give a false sense of assurance. As I meet people in Chicago I’m amazed how many have foreign travel experience. Europe, South America, Asia and more - I used to think world traveler was a unique title of mine. With international travel comes cultural experience, or so I thought. I was wrong. A trip to Cancun offers a poignant example. I had hopes of interacting with Yucatan people, eating local street food, and maybe even getting lost for a bit.…
Outsiders are advantaged in cultural intelligence
The counter-cultural lifestyle is an advantage to one’s development of cultural intelligence. The navigation of cultural differences is a growing factor in today’s marketplace. Even cities, which have historically been centers of cultural diversity in America, now see every tier of business diversifying. Where leaders were once primarily white males, now recognized leaders come in every ethnicity and gender. Companies have overseas branches, and their business networks reach every nation.…