Principles of Ledership

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Knowledgeable means that you are educated and informed about things in the past, things in the present, and things in the future. We are all aware of the history of discrimination in the United States. With that being said, there may be many people that still have an attitude of oppression or prejudice towards others. People do not all change at once, and this history is something that needs to be changed throughout organizations and the rest of the United States. As a leader, it is necessary to educate yourself about the different events, the different trends, and the different perspectives of people. Within this knowledge it is also necessary to be realistic and understand that change takes time. Understanding different perspectives takes times. Becoming a culturally competent leader takes times because there is always going to be more knowledge to be learned.

Going along with the qualities it takes to become a culturally competent leader is the leader’s ability to communicate. In his research, Sheridan (2005) found that, “differing intercultural attitudes affect communication quality and that leaders must be competent in intercultural communications and remain open-minded to be successful” (p.19). Communication is crucial in every aspect of leadership. When dealing with diverse employees it may be difficult to communicate either because of language barriers or because of differences in norms. “Individuals pertaining to a certain culture vary in their communication behaviors, in their motivation for collecting and disseminating information, and in their need to engage in self-categorization” (Dewey n.p.). A leader must be knowledgeable about his or her followers to communicate with them effectively.

People from different cultures have different ways of communicating, especially when it comes to interpreting body language. Here in the United States nodding of up and down indicates yes, however in the Middle East nodding up means agreement and nodding down means disagreement. While belching after a meal is considered rude in the U.S., in India belching after a meal is considered to be a sign of appreciation. In the United States eye contact is a sign of attentiveness or engagement and is used in almost every social interaction, whereas in Asian cultures, eye contact is considered inappropriate and disrespectful (Nonverbal Communication). When working with people from different cultures it is important not to make assumptions about behavior. Becoming knowledgeable about the differences in cultures, especially when it comes to communication is essential for effective communication.

A Culturally Competent Leader and the Organization

Organizations have their own culture of policies, procedures, values, beliefs, and customs. Organizational cultures largely follows the mainstream culture and it’s values, beliefs, and customs. An organization does not become culturally competent on its own. It is up to the leaders of the company to bring in the knowledge about different groups of people and transform that knowledge into standards, policies, and practices that provide an environment of cultural awareness, cultural acceptance, cultural sensitivity, and cultural competence. There are many benefits of increasing an organization’s cultural competence. According to Andrade (2014) some benefit include, “increases in respect and mutual understanding among those involved; increases in participation and involvement of other cultural groups; promotion of equality and inclusion; the overcoming of fear of mistakes, competition, or conflict because by accepting other cultures, everyone is more likely to feel more comfortable; increases in trust and cooperation; and decreases in unwanted surprises that might slow production” (p.39). There is no reason not to promote a culturally competent organization; it’s a win-win situation. Creating a culturally competent organization is a must in today’s society, because if you want teams within the organization to work well together, there needs to be a common ground of respect and acceptance.

Of course, becoming culturally competent does not happen overnight. As I mentioned before becoming culturally competent takes time and needs to start from the top and work its way down the ladder. The foundation for cultural competency needs to be built through policy and procedure. Cultural competence training would be crucial to developing an employee base that is accepting and sensitive to cultural differences. Of course, there will always be people that are stubborn in their stereotypical ways and that won’t mesh well with the organizational vision. It is important the weed these people out. It is also important to make clear policies that actively eliminate prejudice and discrimination and that stress zero tolerance. Evaluate the organization’s cultural competence on a regular basis and be willing to respond to change. The organization must constantly be changing because of the ever changing world around us. Being flexible and responding quickly to feedback will help the organization maintain a vision of cultural competence.

Conclusion

Building culturally competent organizations means changing how people think about other cultures, how they communicate, and how they operate. It means that the structure, leadership, and activities of an organization must reflect many values, perspective, styles, and priorities. Changing how an organization looks is only the first step. A culturally competent organization also emphasizes the advantages of cultural diversity, celebrates the contributions of each culture, and supports the sharing of power among people from different cultures. To really change, the change has to start with the leader. If the leader commits to a vision of cultural competence and actively creates, implements, evaluates, and makes changes when necessary, the organization will reap all of the benefits and advantages of having an organization that is culturally diverse and competent.

Key Learnings

- According to Academic Excellence, “studies show that new entrants to the workforce and communities increasingly will be people of color, immigrants, and white women because of the differential birth rates and immigration patterns.”

- “Effective leadership helps our nation through times or peril. It makes a business organization successful. It enables a not-for-profit organization to fulfill its missions. The effective leadership of parents enables children to grow strong and healthy and become productive adults” (Mills p.10).

- Many people can agree that the leader, the follower, and the situation all depend on each other