Estee Chaikin

Sharing the new currency of meaning

Hi there, thanks you for stopping by. I love designing new services and disruptive business models. Originally from the USA, I am currently living in Amsterdam.

The hidden talent of a global citizen: Cultural intelligence

Over 10 years as a global citizen you start to learn some tips and tricks on how to deal with many different type of people. However, lately I have been pondering the many built up interactions I’ve had world and how they shaped my cultural intelligence. Is there really more value globetrotting as a citizen of the world? Apparently so.

You enable experiences to shape your behaviours which contribute to our cultural intelligence and this makes a difference between how you can handle business to succeeding in business.

For example, take meeting someone from China or Italy is completely different. From the handshake to the facial expressions or even how much you use your hands to talk. In China you would normally watch how much you crack a smile as you should be more discrete about your emotions, whilst Italy is the complete opposite. Expression is valued since it demonstrates emotions and Italians respond best to that. Or where you should have a business meeting counts, such as in the karaoke bar in China rather than in a restaurant in Italy.

These are just a handful of the subtle shifts in behaviour that can contribute to what is known as your “cultural intelligence”, or CQ – and there is growing evidence that suggests they worth learning.

So what is Cultural Intelligence (CQ)?

CQ is the ability to relate to culturally diverse situations, as well as work effectively in them. Individuals with high levels of CQ are better able to accomplish goals in a respectful and effective way no matter what the cultural context.

So we should see one of the main contributors to your success is not necessarily your IQ and not necessarily your expertise, but your CQ.

Cultural Intelligence as now an asset which we can continuously improve and develop over the duration of our lives. It just takes a bit more effort to acquire since we can only strengthen this over time through our experiences with different cultures in the office and also travelling the world.

How CQ comes out in your leadership style

Speaking from experience the main ways CQ adds value to developing your leadership style is knowing how to collaborate and develop trust. Big problems, especially climate challenges, need more than one homogenous group to solve them. Anytime you bring in a diverse group the trust factor is the next important piece to fostering good connection and flow. The more you can put yourself into different ‘shoes’ the better – from customers, to stakeholders, team members, and partners – I see us all having a duty to serve a heterogeneous group.

I can’t agree with Julia Middleton more when she says, “It is up to leaders to make themselves worthy of trust: to make good decisions, to behave consistently and appropriately, and to build up a record of doing so over time.” As I always say.. be the change you want to see. However, it is certainly harder to establish trustworthiness with people with different cultural backgrounds whose ground rules for trust could be very different.

Yep, back to developing real CQ to get you through these challenges and rise above to develop a huge asset to your leadership style.

So onto encouraging you all to be more conscious of your cultural intelligence and see it more as a skill which you will be able to curate over time.

https://about.futurelearn.com/blog/6-reasons-why-modern-leaders-need-cultural-intelligence

The Archive

  1. 2020August
  2. 40 most relevant life learnings
  3. January
  4. My learnings in 2019: Time to create a more impactful road ahead
  5. 2019April
  6. When passion meets purpose: How my professional leaps got me to where I am today
  7. 2018February

  8. The hidden talent of a global citizen: Cultural intelligence

  9. 2016December
  10. Yes, yes, yes.
  11. June
  12. Smart Citizenship challenge
  13. May
  14. Lost in translation..perhaps?
  15. April
  16. The future human
  17. January
  18. Big.Energy.Data.Marriage
  19. 2015December
  20. Eye spy…the wanderlust trend
  21. May
  22. THE Biggest Barrier
  23. January
  24. Luffa: On the Sustainability Materials Radar
  25. 2014June
  26. Is it really about understanding evolution?
  27. Making solar mainstream
  28. March
  29. Earth Hour…say what?
  30. Recipe for Driving Sustainable Behaviour Change
  31. Turn the page
  32. 2013October
  33. London Sustainability Jam…nearly 1 month away
  34. August
  35. Proud to be 33!
  36. April
  37. Get up and create something
  38. March
  39. London Service Jam …what makes it special?
  40. January
  41. The future…
  42. Sharing is caring…right?
  43. 6 daily rules to reach your potential
  44. 2012December
  45. Our next raison d’etre…
  46. October
  47. When do you invent?
  48. July
  49. The importance of connection
  50. May
  51. What’s your little red paperclip?
  52. February
  53. The future of community energy
  54. January
  55. Iteration is a Lifestyle
  56. Believe in the drift
  57. Trend-oids
  58. 2012 Vow: Live in the ‘Wow’
  59. 2011September
  60. Lisa Frost.
  61. August
  62. The “Me-Too” Attitude
  63. May
  64. Intro to Paris: For newbie’s
  65. An idea…
  66. February
  67. Random acts of Thank You…like ya mean it!
  68. 2010December
  69. Time to put up and shut up. Bring it, 2011
  70. November
  71. Creating Change…
  72. Air BnB at Startup School
  73. October
  74. Work: A new found freedom
  75. January
  76. Free Events in London. Bliss.
  77. 2009December
  78. Get Excited and Make Things
  79. Internet Stats Galore – Just one Day
  80. November
  81. Giving Thanks Tribute
  82. Let’s combine global tastes for COP15
  83. Future of Green
  84. October
  85. 365 Ways to Change the World – Post for 31 October
  86. For all confused on the term social business and sustainability
  87. August
  88. Yes Please. Me likes these.
  89. July
  90. Co-Creation of Value = Necessary Change
  91. Interested in starting social change?
  92. June
  93. The Becoming of a Design Society: A New American Renaissance
  94. Best in Show – KitKatt Nohr Photo Competition
  95. May
  96. Great Solution for Closed Loop Recycling
  97. Re-think Play
  98. March
  99. Simple
  100. February
  101. MakeMeSustainable
  102. January
  103. Personal Dream Box
  104. 2008December
  105. Dream Box
  106. September
  107. Fresh ideas. Welcome.