Adapted from Leading with Cultural Intelligence, 3rd Edition by David Livermore
Leaders with cultural intelligence may not always know all the dos and don’ts of the cultural contexts where they lead; but with CQ, they have a GPS to navigate the complexity of these situations in a way that is both effective and respectful. Leaders with cultural intelligence have the ability to adapt to environments characterized by cultural diversity, complexity, and ambiguity. And culturally intelligent leaders are better equipped to drive results in culturally diverse contexts.
Just as IQ measures intellectual capabilities and EQ measures emotional skills, CQ measures skills for working effectively with anyone, anywhere. It includes four capabilities: motivational (CQ Drive), cognitive (CQ Knowledge), metacognitive (CQ Strategy), and behavioral (CQ Action).
CQ Drive (motivation): Interest, Confidence, and Perseverance
In the early years of doing this work, I glossed over CQ Drive because it seemed insultingly obvious to tell leaders that they need to be interested in other cultures in order to be effective working with them. But the longer I’ve worked with executives and organizations around the world, the more I see how fundamental motivation is to culturally intelligent leadership. CQ Drive is the degree to which we’re open to and interested in learning from different perspectives rather than avoiding them. It’s what gives us the perseverance to link DEI and global effectiveness with organizational mission and strategy. And it has to do with whether we can motivate our teams to persevere through the challenges of working across different time zones, working styles, communication norms, and approaches to conflict.
Leaders with high CQ Drive are energized by working with people who have different cultural backgrounds. They have a high level of confidence for dealing with the inevitable challenges associated with work in digital, diverse contexts, and they can effectively motivate others to leverage the diversity on their teams. CQ Drive includes three sub-dimensions that can be assessed and developed:
- Intrinsic interest—the degree to which we derive enjoyment from culturally diverse situations.
- Extrinsic interest—the tangible benefits gained from working effectively in diverse settings.
- Self-efficacy—the confidence that we will be effective in an intercultural situation.
CQ Knowledge (cognition): Understanding Norms and Differences
CQ Knowledge is our understanding of culture and its effect on how people think and behave. This is the component that is most often emphasized in cross-cultural management courses and inclusive leadership programs (for example, here are the basics of Confucian culture; here’s what you should understand about the Black experience in the US; and so on). It’s impossible to lead with cultural intelligence if we don’t have a grasp of fundamental differences in how people’s identities and backgrounds influence how they think and behave. CQ Knowledge helps with that. It also includes our understanding of geopolitics and its impact on how to do business locally and globally. It’s our knowledge about the historical impact of colonialism, racism, and other forms of oppression on how people perceive us and our organizations. And it’s the degree to which we understand the cultural values of the stakeholders we interact with.
Leaders with high CQ Knowledge understand how culture influences someone’s thinking and behavior. They have a broad understanding of communication styles, religious beliefs, and leadership norms held by major cultural groups without resorting to stereotyping. They can figure out when something is “cultural” and when something is more a reflection of one’s personality. And they understand how events happening on the other side of the world may affect the work they’re leading, whether it’s political unrest, a labor dispute, or disruptive weather. CQ Knowledge includes two sub-dimensions that can be assessed and learned: cultural-general and context-specific understanding.
- Cultural-general knowledge—a macro understanding of cultural systems, norms, and values associated with different social groups.
- Context-specific knowledge—a depth of understanding for how culture impacts a specific domain, such as management, education, or health care.
CQ Strategy (metacognition): Awareness and Planning
CQ Strategy is our ability to draw upon our motivation and understanding to make sense of things as we lead in diverse contexts. This capability provides us with a more sophisticated approach to leading in complex, diverse situations to ensure we don’t presume that traveling to Asia several times a year makes us experts on Asian business. It’s also the capability that prevents us from assuming that all women employees or all Black managers want the same thing. Many executives tell me proudly that they trust their gut more than they trust market research or employee surveys to guide their decision-making. There’s actually some interesting research that suggests the gut, or more literally, our subconscious thinking, can indeed be a reliable tool for navigating complex situations, particularly if we have extensive experience; but the gut’s reliability changes when the cultural context shifts. The more different the backgrounds and identities of the people we’re leading, the less confident we should be relying on our gut. Based on my observation, this was the capability that was most lacking in the US executive speaking in Singapore. There was little indication he was actively strategizing how to do business differently in Asia.
Leaders with high CQ Strategy spend time anticipating how culture may affect any situation involving people from diverse backgrounds. Instead of jumping into a brainstorming session with a diverse group and asking everyone to share their ideas, leaders with high CQ Strategy provide advance warning to the group and structure the session to facilitate hearing from those individuals who are more reticent to voice their opinions. A White male leader who applies CQ Strategy is better prepared to provide constructive feedback to a Black employee in a way that is respectful, constructive, and clear. He’s considered how racial differences may affect their conversation, and he addresses potential issues of inequity facing the employee at the organization. CQ Strategy includes three sub-dimensions, which are planning, awareness, and checking.
- Planning—taking time to prepare for a diverse context—anticipating how to approach the people, topic, and situation.
- Awareness—being in tune with what’s going on in ourselves and others during an intercultural encounter.
- Checking—comparing the actual experience with what we expected to happen.
CQ Action (behavioral): Flexibility
CQ Action is our ability to act appropriately in a range of culturally diverse situations. The other day I was crossing the street, and an oncoming car slowed down for me. I gave the driver a half wave to thank them, but they interpreted it as me telling them to slow down. They opened the window and yelled, “Get the hell out of the road, asshole.” My intention was to express gratitude. But my behavior was interpreted differently. CQ Action gives us a repertoire of behaviors to choose from so that we can accurately express our intent. Different behaviors mean different things to different people. If we’re asked to make a couple of introductory remarks at a town hall meeting, some will prefer that we keep our comments brief and succinct while others will expect a more elaborate presentation that includes a personal story. With CQ Action, we gain the skill to use the behaviors that will best communicate our core values and intent, whatever the context.
Leaders with high CQ Action have the skill to adapt, know when not to adapt, or create a new culture altogether. Their goals aren’t thwarted when the context changes, but instead they use different actions to accomplish the same objective. They aren’t trying to be all things to all people. They’re comfortable in their own skin, but they can move in and out of many different leadership situations and change how they lead based on the individuals and circumstances involved. CQ Action is measured by focusing on three types of communication:
- Speech acts—the specific words and phrases used when communicating.
- Verbal adaptability—adjusting things like your volume or rate of speech.
- Nonverbal behaviors—such as whether to shake hands or knowing the appropriate place to sit in a meeting.
Most of this book is focused on unpacking the four CQ capabilities (Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action)and offering insights for how to strengthen them in ourselves and the people we lead. Although the four capabilities don’t always develop in a particular order, it can also be helpful to think about them as four steps toward increased CQ.
Let’s imagine we have to address a culturally complex situation, such as talking with a French manager about a complaint having been filed against them for giving unnecessarily harsh feedback.
Step 1
CQ Drive gives the energy and self-confidence to listen carefully and consider the perspectives of the employee and the manager.
Step 2
CQ Knowledge provides an understanding of the core cultural issues that are relevant to this situation and the manager’s alleged behavior.
Step 3
CQ Strategy guides the development of a plan for talking with this manager in ways that facilitate awareness and checking during the conversation.
Step 4
CQ Action facilitates flexible responses during the conversations, including adaptation of words, styles, and behaviors based on how the manager responds and additional things you learn about the situation.
The strength of cultural intelligence lies in using all four capabilities rather than just one or two. The four CQ capabilities work together in a way that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I’ve encountered many leaders who have extensive knowledge about different cultures but show little interest and drive to actively engage with people who see the world differently than they do. The more we apply the four CQ capabilities to myriad complex situations, the more natural it will be for us to lead with cultural intelligence.
Leading with Cultural Intelligence, 3rd Edition provides you with the adaptability you need to motivate, negotiate, and accomplish results with anyone, anywhere. You can order your copy today.