Does growing up with a multicultural identity facilitate cross-cultural connections that help strengthen global leadership?

Yes

A series of experiences shared by people growing up with multicultural identities help develop three key qualities that enable them to engage in concrete actions to better foster cross-cultural connections on three levels.

Experience

Quality

Actions

Cross-cultural
connection

EXPERIENCE 1:

Based on perceived outsider-ness, early experiences of dejection, shame and indignation lead to an understanding toward others also considered outsiders.

What quality is developed by this experience?
Empathy
What specific actions are linked to that quality?
Observing behavioral and emotional cues
 
Relating to cultural frames according to context
What type of connection results?
Emotive connection,
with mutual understanding

EXPERIENCE 2:

At first, feeling ambivalent about how to fit in. Then, with more self-awareness and confidence, affirming one’s unique identity within a societal context.

What quality is developed by this experience?
Perspective-taking
What specific actions are linked to that quality?
Acknowledging the importance of other cultures
Identifying commonalities among differences
Demonstrating a willingness to learn
 
What type of connection results?
brain Cognitive connection,
with positive feeling

EXPERIENCE 3:

Understanding social identity complexity leads to tolerance and recognition of differences. With confidence in one’s own identity comes the ability to maintain core values when taking on local perspectives.

What quality is developed by this experience?
Integration
What specific actions are linked to that quality?
Showing understanding for different norms
Explaining reasons for changing norms
Demonstrating our expectations of norms
What type of connection results?
Behavioral connection,
with a common approach to collaborate
This infographic is based on a model created by Farah Y. Shakir and IESE’s Yih-teen Lee, to show how belonging to more than one culture facilitates cross-cultural connections. And these connections are key to effective global leadership, based on our universal human need for belonging.
For more information, see "Connecting Across Cultures: An Empirical Examination of Multicultural Individuals as Global Leaders", published in Advances in Global Leadership (vol. 10).