It’s time to embrace unusual leadership. The world is more connected than ever and the US is diversifying even faster than predicted. From this point forward, the most successful leaders will truly understand how to embrace cultural dexterity; in their workforce, products, campaigns, and customers. The dawn of culturally intelligent leadership is upon us.
As executives, customers and investors, we should demand that our company leaders combine “traditional” leadership skills with cultural capabilities. Cultural dexterity should be assessed in job interviews, cultural intelligence should be factored into leadership potential, and cultural empathy should be highly valued and rewarded.
For many immigrants and members of traditionally marginalized groups, cultural dexterity is almost second nature; a set of survival skills and coping mechanisms carefully crafted throughout their entire lives. There’s no group of professionals better positioned to embrace culturally intelligent leadership than immigrant and BIPOC talent. Let’s stop overlooking these leadership gifts in favor of the old leadership as usual models.
