Five questions culturally intelligent leaders ask themselves everyday

David Livermore | 20 Mar 2023

While cultural intelligence (CQ) needs to inform big picture strategic and operational issues, where it really comes to life is in the everyday practices of a leader.

Leaders, teammates, and teams

Wayne Turmel

The trend for remote work was rising for years before the COVID tsunami hit. But now we've passed that first big wave of change, what will teamwork look like going forward?

We're at a post-Covid inflection point. Now what?

Wayne Turmel

Three years of Covid-inspired disruption to the way work is done has left uncertainty in its wake. But waving a magic wand and saying, "we're going back to the way things were," isn't going to work for a number of reasons.

The power of figured worlds

David Livermore

Figured worlds - the social contexts where we feel most comfortable - are everywhere. They might be countries, racial groups, fashions, friend groups or religions - and we underestimate their power at our peril.

Talking about mental health

Therese Procter

How can people in managerial roles listen, understand and support team members who open up about mental health issues?

Company culture: the bigger picture

Wayne Turmel

How do we judge a company or team's culture? What role does working together physically play in creating it? Maybe more important, and harder to answer - how do we know?

What Is the language of conscious leadership?

Vlatka Ariaana Hlupic

Words have their own energy and meaning and need to be chosen with care. That's why language is such an important barometer of organisational culture.

From the archive

Morale: a moving target

Duane Dike

What we think we know about morale is probably wrong, especially the black and white notion that morale is either ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Like most human feelings, morale is a moving target, which is why being sensitive to its nuances is such a key skill for leaders.

Mark Curtis

Always on - switching off

Mark Curtis

Only 20 years ago, the ubiquity of 'always on' communications was unforeseen. But the rapid pace of change has catalysed behaviour in the workplace that our customs have not yet caught up with.

Dan Bobinski

Are you in the right job?

Dan Bobinski

One of the most hit-and-miss adventures people endure in life is trying to figure out what they were designed to do.

James Berry

Three ways to plan for an uncertain future

James Berry

In today's troubled times, even the most successful business can find itself in difficulty. So how can businesses plan for an uncertain future?

Steve Huxham

The Future of Work: "it's life Jim, but not as we know it"

Steve Huxham

In 1977, the year that Elvis died, there were 150 impersonators in the USA. Now the figure has swollen to 85,000 (including the ten member 'Flying Elvi' skydiving team!) If the same rate of growth continues, Elvis impersonators will account for a third of the world's population by 2019.

Earlier opinion

Leveraging tech to succeed at hybrid working

Jesper Theill Eriksen

A variety of issues still plague today's hybrid work environments, particularly around the tech used to enable effective remote working.

How to talk about the elephant in the room

David Livermore

Knowing how to identify and constructively address unresolved conflict in different cultural situations is a key skill for global leaders.

Eight steps to achieving a high-performance culture

Vlatka Ariaana Hlupic

Creating a high-performance culture is often touted as the holy grail of today's organisations. But achieving it in practice remains an elusive concept.

Onboarding on hybrid teams

Wayne Turmel

Bringing people onto a hybrid team presents all the challenges associated with an office-based team, as well as many of the challenges that come with a fully remote team.

Presenting to diverse audiences

David Livermore

Presentation skills are a critical part of being an effective leader. But the more diverse your audience, the more you have to plan ahead and adjust the way you present.

Can you work from home and still have a career?

Wayne Turmel

Everyone knows that if you work from home once everyone else returns to the office, you've obviously decided your career doesn't matter. Right?

Creating serendipity in the workplace

Christian Busch

Everyone experiences good or bad luck at some point in their lives. But what if luck isn't as blind as we thought? What if it is something we can cultivate in the workplace and beyond?

The demise of the Blackberry and its link to Covid

Bob Selden

What's the link between the iconic Blackberry phone and the Covid pandemic?

Taking time for leadership

Duane Dike

Pondering issues before acting brings new alternatives, fresh perspectives and creative solutions. That why leaders who don't pause to reflect often run into trouble.

Do you trust your new team member?

Wayne Turmel

Think about the way you interact with new members of your team. You might not actively distrust them, but do you act like you trust them?

What is a 'global' leader?

David Livermore

'Global leadership' is one of those fancy terms that gets used in glossy consulting reports and EMBA marketing briefs. But what does it actually mean?

When will they ever learn?

Bob Selden

Boris Johnson's attempt to apologise for attending a Downing Street party during last year's lockdown is a timely reminder about the gulf between making a formal apology and being genuinely sorry.