Developing Cross-Cultural Competence for Leaders

This book offers an accessible reference and roadmap for the practical application of cross-cultural competence (3C) for leaders dedicated to leading with diversity, inclusion and personal development in mind. Developing Cross-Cultural Competence for Leaders takes readers from ideational to real, asking them to step out of their comfort zone and learn to navigate cultural differences. The authors invite readers to join them on a journey of discovery of themselves, their personal and professional peers and ultimately the cultural landscape they inhabit both knowingly and oftentimes unknowingly all in the hopes of opening doors to empathetic and effective communication. The skillset required for 3C is developed throughout the book beginning with a discussion of relevant concepts, leading the readers through narratives of extreme environments and ending with a roadmap for use in leadership positions. Each chapter discusses a foundational idea contextualized with sample narratives and ending with thought questions. The authors summon readers to embrace dissimilarities, shift perspectives, dare to engage and navigate in new and even adverse social and cultural contexts. Developing Cross-Cultural Competence is an essential reading for students of leadership development, as well as military and non-military professionals.

Joseph J. Thomas is Director of The Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Clementine K. Fujimura is a Cultural Anthropologist and Professor at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Foreword. 0. Introduction: Developing Cross-Cultural Competence for Leaders. 1. Defining Culture for Leadership. 2. Cross-Cultural Understanding as a Function of Leadership. 3. Experiential Learning and Immersive Environments to Develop Leaders. 4. The Ethnographic Method for Leadership. 5. Developing 3C in the Workplace and the Role of Communication. 6. Biases and Obstacles to Critical Thinking. 7. Optimizing 3C with Key Ingredients: Empathy, Mindfulness and Reflexivity. 8. The Personal and Organizational Benefits of Being Cross-Culturally Competent. Afterword.