Cultural Intelligence: The Competitive Edge for Leaders Crossing Borders

Right now, vast amounts of time and money are being invested all round the world in building global brands and organisations. But where are the global leaders who will lead them? Leaders who can cross cultural boundaries: between east and west, and north and south; between faiths and beliefs; between public, private and voluntary sectors; and between the generations?

Where are the leaders who can lead in what Julia calls the “magnet cities” of the world: where the world’s most talented young people will convene? Because these people will simply turn their backs on bosses who demand that their teams think and behave alike.

The race is on to develop leaders with Cultural Intelligence. And this book is designed to give readers a decisive head start.

In the process, Julia has spoken to leaders all round the world, and invited them to tell their own CQ stories: successful and disastrous, serious and funny, poignant, pragmatic and often highly personal. The result is surprising, challenging and frequently uncomfortable (there is no simplistic advice here about how to exchange business cards in the correct local manner).

But the ambition is huge. As is the prize for the next generation of leaders who see the opportunity she outlines – and grasp it.

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword by Ron Arculli
Thank you
Introduction
Part One: What is Cultural Intelligence (CQ)?
IQ
EQ
CQ
Are they sequential?
Diversions and dead ends
One final twist
Part Two: Why do I need CQ?
The need for collaboration
The reality of networks
The importance of trust
The demands of demographics
The spark of innovation
The urban magnet
Growing world, shrinking leaders
The pressure to focus
Scenario: Past, present, future: how influential are they?
Part Three: Developing your CQ: Core and Flex
A constant review
More than ‘values’
Enough Core
But not too much Core
Enough Flex
But not too much Flex
The ever-sliding scale
It’s not just about you
Exercise: Assess your own Core and Flex
Part Four: The prerequisites
The CQ paradox
A deep interest in other people
A determination about yourself
The stamina for an endless journey
Stand up to cultural intolerance
Scenario: University: a perfect CQ learning opportunity
Part Five: What else does it take? Knowing your Core
Find it
Reveal it
And stick to it
Calibrating your Flex
Exercise: Reassess your Core and Flex
Part Six: Dealing with the opposite of CQ
Cultural intolerance
Cultural ignorance
Put yourself on the receiving end
Part Seven: Experiencing experience
An extra eye
Find the right guide
Have courageous conversations
Switch from transmit to receive
Open the door
Scenario: Advice for leaders leaving home
Conclusion
Over to you
Scenario: 100 people in a room
Exercise: Eight Poles: assess your CQ
Further reading
IndexREVIEWS

“Julia Middleton has written a book about something that she and Common Purpose have been quietly practising everywhere they go: Cultural Intelligence, or CQ. To me, it is entirely fitting that Julia should take an idea and explore it with a whole variety of leaders from all over the world. Because, right from the start, Common Purpose has embodied what CQ stands for.” –  Ron Arculli, Senior Partner, King & Wood Mallesons, Hong Kong, in his Foreword to Cultural Intelligence“In an age of unprecedented connectedness and shifting certainties, many of us spend our time moving between different worlds without fully adhering to any single cultural identity. This book makes you realise what a gift that is, and how to make the most of it. A must-read for young people entering today’s global job-market.

” –  Riz Ahmed, actor and musician“The world is changing. The role of the powerful, intelligent network is greater than ever, but they only really come alive, they only really catch fire, when leadership and Julia’s idea of Cultural Intelligence hits them.

” –  Sir Alan Parker, Chairman, Brunswick Group“Julia Middleton’s discovery of Cultural Intelligence shockingly confronts us with our daily ignorance. Paradoxically, the more you realise this, the more CQ you have. A must-read for all leaders who care as much about integrity and diversity as impact.

” –  Frank Trümper, Managing Director, Baden-Baden Entrepreneur Talks (BBUG)“You need this book if you feel steeped in your own world and know that you must look outwards. It is not an easy thing to do; it takes both courage and humility to be global when your roots are very local, or to work with bureaucrats if you only have experience in the private sector. This book will help us all wherever we are in the world.

” –  Mr Narayana N.R. Murthy, Executive Chairman, Infosys Technologies Limited

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Cultural Intelligence: The Competitive Edge for Leaders Crossing Borders