Future Skills

CHAPTER 13CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIVERSITY CONSCIOUSNESS

We hear a lot about authenticity these days, largely in the context of being an authentic brand or an authentic leader. But it's just as important at an individual level, too. We should all be free to be our authentic selves at work, to bring our “whole selves” to work, so to speak, without fear of discrimination. For this to happen, however, we need workplaces that recognize and celebrate our many differences, cultural and otherwise. We need workplaces that truly reflect the diversity of our societies.

I had an early lesson in cultural diversity when, as a young man, I left my home in Germany and spent a year in England improving my grasp of English. On the surface, life in Germany and life in Britain aren't so different, but I was struck by so many contrasts. The food and drink. The humor. The British obsession with the weather. The fact that people patiently stand in line (and, jumping the line is not an option)! Later, I spent some time in Hong Kong, which, as you can imagine, was an even greater culture shock. Both experiences taught me that there are so many beautiful and fascinating ways in which our societies differ.

These days, I'm seeing organizations become much more representative of such differences. This is why I consider cultural intelligence and diversity consciousness to be a vital future skill.

What Are Cultural Intelligence and Diversity Consciousness?

Diversity simply refers to the many ways in ...