Multiple Intelligences and Leadership

a culturally diverse workforce. Despite their more typically limited emphasis on gender and race, there are lessons to be learned from the experiences of U.S. organizations in their attempts at managing diversity. These lessons can help organizations develop practices compatible with today's diverse workforce, train both leaders and followers in cultural awareness and sensitivity, and help their staff to become more interculturally competent.

The most important step is to begin. As William Edwards, general manager of the Washington Hilton has learned, “If you don't have empathy and aren't able to communicate in diversity, or are uncomfortable around a multicultural workforce, or if you are not confident enough to give an opportunity to someone who has a heavy accent or is different, you'll be a miserable failure as a manager” (Grimsley, 1999, p. 12). The more successful alternative is what we call cultural intelligent leadership.

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