Reflection Paper on Cross Cultural Leadership Training:
Diversity consciousness is a prerequisite for effective leadership. However, enabling leaders to learn and practice the skills they need to excel in diverse environments is a challenge. These skills range from flexibility and acceptance of differences to active listening as a way of showing interest and building trust to networking. Often, programs that seek to provide leaders with experiences that build these very skills put individuals in environments that take them out of their comfort zones. In recent years, a number of innovative and experiential leadership programs have been developed, including:
A cowboy who teaches leadership by having individuals tame horses
An orchestra director who teaches leadership by having individuals experience what it is like to both conduct and respond to a conductor’s baton.
Describe and evaluate what diversity skill(s) the program’s participants develop
Evaluate the relevance of these skills today