Why Is Multicultural Leadership Needed More than Ever?

In addition to coming from a multicultural family, I have been fortunate to live, study and work in several countries, which has given me the opportunity to meet and exchange points of view with very diverse people from many parts of the world. These experiences have made me reflect about the importance of teaching and learning soft skills and multicultural competencies to deploy true global leadership in the current context of organizations.

The world has advanced very rapidly in the globalization process and, although today in many fields there is talk of deglobalization or slowdown of globalization, it is clear that the world is still highly interconnected and that the economic interdependence of countries has in turn accelerated political, social and cultural interdependence, among other. Culture, languages, artistic representations, religion, sports, food and consumption are expressions of how globalization has contributed to breaking down the traditional divisions of human beings, which used to be barriers to prosperity and cultural exchange.

What’s more, today the interactions and exchanges that take place in and from organizations with employees, customers, suppliers, competitors and creditors from different cultures have grown exponentially. For this reason, it is fundamental in our learning processes to approach multicultural experiences that promote global leadership.

Research on multicultural leadership in global companies has increased rapidly in recent years. According to the research presented by Yukl, the multicultural context is described as a situation in which individuals of diverse cultures operate in a foreign culture and their actions or behaviors in this context generate international performance.

If we are part of an international team, we may have to deal with people of different cultural, ethnic or religious backgrounds., who have different values ​​and beliefs than ours. It is not always easy to understand these people or for them to understand us, so we will need to have a cultural understanding and empathy (some call it cultural intelligence) to communicate effectively and collaborate constructively.

Undoubtedly, globalization and demographic changes make it increasingly important for managers to know how to influence and manage people with different values, beliefs and expectations. For this reason, multiculturalism is a critical success factor for organizations and leadership, and the areas of talent and culture should focus on developing competencies that make it possible to determine when adaptation is necessary.

For any organization that operates in different geographical settings, it is essential that its human capital learn how to act in different environments, with quite specific indications that help to understand the environment, cultural practices (how things are) and their cultural values ​​(how they should be). Thus, Engaging in open and non-judgmental exchanges that are respectful of cultural diversity is the way to enhance multicultural interpersonal skills. This is a path of professional and personal transformation, understanding the other in an empathetic and respectful way, valuing cultural diversity and enjoying the exchange of experiences and knowledge.

The author is a professor of the Strategy and Leadership Department at EGADE Business School.

Article originally published in Alto Nivel.