Leadership 101: Cross-Cultural Leaders

We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” If you eat unhealthy foods, you will put yourself at higher risk of obesity, higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol, heart disease, and more. Emotionally, research shows the effects of eating unhealthily can lead to depression, lethargy, stress, and anxiety to name a few. The same principles hold true for what you feed your mind. If you feed your mind certain thoughts, information, and views, you will produce actions as a response to what you have learned.  If what you are feeding your mind is unhealthy, then you will respond by producing unhealthy actions and behaviors. It’s just that simple. While these may be simple concepts, we need to look at how we lead and the impact our leadership has on others. 

Our cultural beliefs and worldviews have a direct impact on our perceptions, behaviors, and subsequent outcomes. Take our decision-making processes, for example. When we typically make decisions, we are trusting our instincts which presuppose our perceptions. For example, when a leader of a school or nonprofit is faced with implementing a new program or policy, she employs her natural, instinctual perceptions to move the initiative forward based on familiarities. Therefore, this produces outcomes conducive to what she perceives to be right. The majority of leaders have operated using this philosophy to maintain, and even leverage, resources to move our social institutions forward. However, this general and abstract way of thinking can be detrimental as we seek to dismantle inequalities within our social institutions. 

Leaders need to rethink their thinking through the development of learning new cultural and equitable practices. Research shows that becoming a culturally competent leader is necessary for leaders to lead today’s and tomorrow’s organizations. Being culturally competent doesn’t mean you know it all, but it means you are a leader who is continuously learning. As our social institutions are becoming more and more diverse, using old ways of thinking will not produce new opportunities. Research also shows that organizations led by leaders who are culturally competent are creating more equitable and inclusive workplaces, thus increasing overall organizational effectiveness and well-being. So, what are some things a leader must do to become more culturally competent? Here are some steps to take: 

Understand

The first step is to understand you. Understand your worldview, implicit biases, how you make decisions, your cultural beliefs, and so forth. One of the least-taught principles in leadership is knowing and understanding yourself­­. Understanding the “whys” and “hows” of your decision-making allows you to take a deeper dive into your core values and beliefs. A good question to start with is, “Could my implicit biases and worldview actually be a barrier to being a better and culturally competent leader?” Begin questioning how you think, and start deciphering the core understandings you possess. 

Learn

How did you learn and what can you learn? Children begin their learning from their parents/caregivers. This is where worldviews begin to take shape in a person and where behaviors are formed. After parents/caregivers, schools are the next place a child’s worldview is shaped and perpetuated. The education system is a place where behaviors are further shaped, based on a system of supplying a child with specific information. Parents/caregivers and education play a vital role in the development of a child’s worldview, beliefs, and behaviors. Fast forward to today, much of what you learned as a leader began when you were a child. To become a culturally competent leader, you must revisit how you learned and what you learned in the first place. Begin by reexamining what you were taught, you may or may not find discrepancies or loopholes in the information given to you. A great way to start this process is by finding counter-narratives. Counter-narratives are the narratives that go against the narrative and help you find truth to inform your own worldview and beliefs. Learning is power, but relearning is transformative. 

Relate

Developing trust is essential to every leader who is developing cultural competencies. When engaging others from diverse cultures, a leader must seek to understand others without biases and stereotypes. Much research has been done on building relationships across cultures, and the outcomes of those leaders who build trust are very positive. Building trust across cultures leads to building true collaboration, which leads to higher percentages of innovation, creativity, and productivity. 

Advocate

When a culturally competent leader understands herself, relearns through counter-narratives, and builds cross-cultural relationships, she better positions herself to inform policies and better leads the organization. It is by advocating on behalf of those who have been marginalized that organizations can build better unity and therefore produce better outcomes. You’ve heard the saying, “Stand up for the little guy.” Using this mindset, leaders can build more inclusive organizations where everyone has an equitable and equal chance to succeed. 

Participate

Creating an organizational culture of cross-cultural collaboration is highly beneficial when everyone has a seat at the table. The culture of the organization is positively impacted when everyone is equally respected for their views and experiences.