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CHAPTER 11: DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY 343
to interpret unfamiliar situations and adapt quickly. Rather than a list of global
“dos and don’ts,” CQ is a practical learning approach that enables a person to
ferret out clues to a culture’s shared understandings and respond to new situations
in culturally appropriate ways.
Cultural intelligence includes three components that work together: cognitive,
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emotional, and physical. The cognitive component involves a person’s obser-
vational and learning skills and the ability to pick up on clues to
understanding. The emotional aspect concerns one’s self-confi dence Action Memo
and self-motivation. A leader has to believe in his or her ability to As a leader, you can develop cultural
understand and assimilate into a different culture. Diffi culties and intelligence. You can study other languages
setbacks are triggers to work harder, not a cause to give up. and cultures and form relationships with
The third component of CQ, the physical, refers to a person’s people from different countries. You can
ability to shift his or her speech patterns, expressions, and body lan- learn to be sensitive to differences in social
guage to be in tune with people from a different culture. Most people value systems, and fi nd creative ways to
aren’t equally strong in all three areas, but maximizing cultural intel- address delicate diversity issues.
ligence requires that they draw upon all three facets. In a sense, CQ
requires that the head, heart, and body work in concert.
High CQ also requires that a leader be open and receptive to new
ideas and approaches. One study found that people who adapt to global man-
agement most easily are those who have grown up learning how to understand,
empathize, and work with others who are different from themselves. For exam-
ple, Singaporeans consistently hear English and Chinese spoken side by side. The
Dutch have to learn English, German, and French, as well as Dutch, to interact
and trade with their economically dominant neighbors. English Canadians must
not only be well-versed in American culture and politics, but they also have
to consider the views and ideas of French Canadians, who, in turn, must learn to
think like North Americans, members of a global French community, Canadians,
and Quebecois. People in the United States who have grown up without this
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kind of language and cultural diversity typically have more diffi culties with for-
eign assignments, but willing managers from any country can learn to open their
minds and appreciate other viewpoints.
Leadership Implications

A study of executives in five countries found that although the globalization of
business seems to be leading to a convergence of managerial values and attitudes,

executives in different countries differ significantly in some areas, which can cre-
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ate problems for leadership. To lead effectively in a diverse global environment,
leaders should be aware of cultural and subcultural differences. Chapter 3 ex-
amined contingency theories of leadership that explain the relationship between
leader style and a given situation. It is important for leaders to recognize that
culture affects both style and the leadership situation. For example, in cultures
with high uncertainty avoidance, a leadership situation with high task structure
as described in Chapter 3 is favorable, but those in low uncertainty avoidance
cultures prefer less-structured work situations.
In addition, how behavior is perceived differs from culture to culture. To
criticize a subordinate in private directly is considered appropriate behavior in
individualistic societies such as the United States. However, in Japan, which val-
ues collectivism over individualism, the same leader behavior would be seen as
inconsiderate. Japanese employees lose face if they are criticized directly by a
supervisor. The expectation is that people will receive criticism information from
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peers rather than directly from the leader. Research into how the contingency
models apply to cross-cultural situations is sparse. However, all leaders need to be