Harness the ability to cross boundaries and thrive in multiple cultures.
The world is shrinking and leaders from different cultures are finding that they need to work together. The cultures are formed of geography, faith, gender, generation, organization and sector. In a world where problems cross borders between cultures, we need leaders who can cross those boundaries and cross cultures too; people who can communicate effectively and build diverse networks necessary to solve messy problems. We need leaders who don’t just shy away from difference, but gravitate towards it. They don’t see heterogeneity as threatening; they see it as creative, exciting, inspiring and enriching. They are the leaders with Cultural Intelligence (CQ).
old and new divides are being crossed
Yet wherever you go in the world, people are being thrown together and are struggling to adapt and get on. Old and new divides are being crossed. Populations are becoming more diverse. Communication technology means that ‘global’ business is no longer just the remit of a few large organizations, but is increasingly the ambition of small businesses and individuals. It is also happening with sectors; the boundaries are blurring between the public, private and NGO sectors and leaders are struggling to understand one another.
This does not mean that you have to change who you are, but it does change how you express it
CQ in practice: Core and Flex
Understanding what Core and Flex are, and how they work, is the key to developing CQ.
Our Core comprises the things that define us: our own personal ‘over my dead body’ list. These are things that won’t change (or won’t change easily). Their solidity is our strength. In our Flex are things that we can choose to change; things that we can adapt to circumstances, or to other people or other cultures. Their fluidity is equally our strength.
Core and Flex cover more than just our principles, they also account for everything from spirit and identity to behaviours and habits; from grand beliefs to small actions. Sir John Parker gives a good account of some behavioural values he is able to Flex, and how this represents more than just etiquette:
‘You must bow in Japan; it is how you show deference. At home, I might do this in another way but, in Japan, I do it their way. You simply have to take account of where you are, and show people that you have done so. You have to get the basics of the Flex right: when to bow, when to smile, how to show that you are polite. This does not mean that you have to change who you are, but it does change how you express it. You have to figure out how other human beings, who have grown up in a different culture and society from you, express their honesty and integrity in their own way, and then you must do it in the same way.’
Once we’ve worked out what is Core and what is Flex for us, we need to keep them in review. Testing. Weeding. Transplanting. To make sure that the right things are in the right places, and our Flex is actually Flexing.
A well defined Core and Flex, kept under constant review is key to Cultural Intelligence because it equips us with the ability to experience new situations and adapt to other people without fear of losing ourselves, while changing and accommodating without ever compromising on what matters.
Keeping our Core and Flex under review also helps to keep our biases under control. Although it can be sometimes tough to admit, we all hold biases in one form or another. They are the knots in our Core that we know should not be there. And for those of us who have experienced prejudice ourselves, it is especially important to scrutinize our Core for biases (because we have them too) and move them to Flex. They need to face the light and air. They need to be regularly dusted down, examined and tested. Because, for leaders, they produce blind spots and they cause us to miss opportunities
