Multiculturalism and the Art of a True Leader
Multiculturalism is here and it is here to stay. Leading in any workplace requires one to become more cognizant of their mindset and those around them. As leaders, we must develop high levels of cultural and emotional intelligence to deal with the many issues that may arise and of course, to prove how advantageous it can be to work with members from different cultures.
Self-Efficacy and Leadership
Self-efficacy is considered to be one’s belief in their own ability to perform a particular task or perform well in a different cultural setting. It is safe to say that having a high level of cultural intelligence often means that an individual also has a high level of self-efficacy and vice versa. This simply means that one believes that he/she is able to thrive in a particular cultural setting with confidence and commitment. Emotional intelligence, mindlessness and mindfulness techniques have an impact on self-efficacy in that they play a role in managing emotions, self-perception and displayed level of creativity and unconscious behavior.
The Emotionally Intelligent Leader
Since emotional intelligence deals with how one manages his emotions and that of others. The impact this has on self-efficacy is significant as it measures and determines how one deals with the emotions of others and their own emotions when trying to complete a particular task. It captures our reactions, level of impulse and overall emotional behavior when faced with challenges. How well we handle our emotions and our ability to deal with the emotions of others can determine if our self-efficacy is high or low. The role of emotions in leadership is important in that it gives leaders a certain level of control and management over how they react to and handle various situations. A leader who understands himself and reacts well and responsibly in a crisis versus a leader who lashes out is viewed in a better light.
Developing an optimistic perspective of emotions can, therefore, have positive benefits for a leader because it enables a leader to assess his own emotions, think about the emotions of others and self-manage his emotions so that his best possible behavior and attitude is displayed. When leaders begin to look at the actions of others and themselves from a human and emotional perspective, they begin to recognize the real emotions of others, interpret it and see how they can change or manage their emotions in a more positive way. "In certain environments, employees with high levels of emotional intelligence may be better able to cooperate with others, manage work-related stress, solve conflicts within workplace relationships, and learn from previous interpersonal mistakes." (Good Therapry, 2016).
Mindfulness at Work
According to Cultural Intelligence for Leaders, mindfulness "is the capacity to be fully aware of all that one experiences inside the self—body, mind, heart, spirit—and to pay full attention to what is happening around us—people, the natural world, our surroundings, and events." This to me just means to be present in a given situation and be present and aware of our actions and thoughts. Mindfulness considers what is happening now and tries to look at it from an unbiased perspective in order to see something for what it is; This could possibly lead to a change in perspective for the observer.
In terms of self-efficacy, this is useful as it allows individuals to see beyond bias and trivial emotions or preferences to see a situation for what it is so they can act in the most ethical or culturally appropriate way. Mindfulness allows a leader to focus on the performance and goals of the team in that it allows him to step outside himself and look at a situation from a more neutral perspective. It also allows managers to not be swayed by emotions but to seek and explore alternatives that benefits all. It enables a leader to critically analyze a present dilemma and see how he can adjust his own perspective to improve it for those around him.
“Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness and high levels of Self-Efficacy makes a manager more effective and productive in a multicultural work environment. Mindlessness must be avoided”
Mindlessness and the Pitfalls of Leadership
Mindlessness evaluates the limitations that we tend to put on ourselves and our failure to see alternate possibilities or solutions. This can negatively impact self-efficacy as it will make a task seem too hard or too daunting if it cannot be done a particular way. Especially in a cultural setting, it will make it quite difficult to understand others and decrease the desire or ability to adapt to a new cultural setting because we are essentially, 'stuck within ourselves' and naturally want to repeat the same behaviors. Mindlessness can lead to learned helplessness and these actions can impact a leader’s performance negatively as it will contribute to a vicious cycle of behaviors and attitudes that make it difficult to function effectively. Without thinking about our thinking (metacognition) and being present (mindfulness), a leader appears biased, one-track minded and ill-equipped to adjust and manage himself and others in the workplace. This, of course, limits his effectiveness.
As leaders we have to step outside ourselves at times to be more effective and have the confidence that we can become movers and shakers in our work environments, without stepping on anyone's toes. Fostering an environment that consists of open communication, mutual respect, a deep understanding, and a sense of care makes managing in the global environment more advantageous as everyone is able to flourish and work harmoniously.
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