Introduction

Leaders may apply aspects of spiritual leadership theory in their organizational approach to developing a multicultural workforce. Haynes (2013) explains that studies in this area have found that companies with leadership teams with diverse backgrounds out-perform teams that do not by up to 47% in terms of revenue. While the benefits are understood and proven, the implementation and integration may remain a challenge for any leader.

Learning to Build A Multicultural Workforce

New age leaders have the opportunity to build and maintain multicultural workforces. While this can be looked at as an opportunity, the leader will still face challenges in their pursuit of understanding and implementing. “Leaders also need acquired diversity to establish a culture in which all employees feel free to contribute ideas.” Hewlett, S., Marshall, M., & Sherbin, L. (2013) A culture that allows for creativity of thought promotes the benefits that a diverse workplace boasts. Leaders must develop an understanding of each unique personal culture that employees are bringing to the organization in order to reap the benefits. Regardless of religious belief, spiritual leadership techniques are needed to implement the diversity range in successful organizations.  Davidson (1999) claimed, “Above all, given the changes in today’s world, we need to live our lives, and manage our workplaces to promote the benefits of diversity for humankind now and the generation to come” (p. 1).

Benefits of Cross-Cultural Communication

There are numerous benefits to cross cultural communication, and these require the spiritual leader to gain knowledge in diversity and multicultural development to increase his or her understanding. Carlos-Ghosn talked about learning how to motivate people who speak different languages, different cultural context, different sensitivities and habits. (Stahl and Brannen, 2013) Developing an understanding in these different areas are required for the leader to motivate multicultural individuals and reach the full return of cross-cultural communication benefits.

Three steps leaders can undertake to develop cross-cultural communication are diversity training and understanding, empathy, and creativity. “In times of great transition, leadership becomes critically important. Leaders, in essence, offer us a pathway of confidence and directions as we move through the seeming chaos.” (Conger, 1993) Diversity training and understanding allow the leader to welcome a diverse workforce. As leaders better understand how to lead themselves and their diverse team, the positives surrounding cross-cultural and team communication will begin to show.

Course based around training models could be taught in person or online, educating the current and aspiring leaders about cross-cultural relations and the benefits. Once the current leaders become educated, their diverse following has the ability to understand the why behind a strategy. Once the why is understood, there is potential for followers to put in higher levels of effort to reach personal and professional goals. This course could teach leaders better communication skills. When the leader and the follower gain an increase an understanding, there’s an increase for success.

Empathy is a trait of emotional intelligence, giving the spiritual leader the ability to understand and share the feelings of those they lead. Followers want their personal and professional goals recognized and valued. Leaders and followers share commonalities of regular human beings, seeking appreciation and recognition in tasks. The ability to establish an emotional identification with followers from a variety of cultures is an attribute that distinguishes leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Mahatma Ghandi, who recognized the needs of their followers and incorporated those needs into their convictions. (Conger, 1993) Successful leaders in the past have been exceptional in their development of emotional intelligence, including empathy.

The third way leaders can own their development of cross-cultural communication is in their own creativity and how they allow their diverse work force to use their creativity. When employees and leaders can work together towards a common goal, understand one another, and respect one another’s differences there is potential for an increase in creativity. Understanding leads to respecting, which leads to increasing. This could be an increase in strategy, vision, or profits to name a few. Leaders may use their creativity to come up with unique ways for followers to be creative. Leaders may even combine their creative ideas with the ideas of employees to fully develop an idea.

Strategies Employed to Cultivate Tolerance, Understanding, and Appreciation of All Cultures

Strategies may be employed by leaders of successful organizations to cultivate tolerance, understand, and appreciate of all the cultures that play a role in the organization. Successful organizations are adapting to the hypothesis that diverse organizations not only reap positive benefits, but also are adding value and achievement to the organizational mission. Understanding is the critical first step in cultivating tolerance and appreciation. Without an understanding of an individual culture, tolerance and appreciation aren’t possible. Gaining an understanding begins with authentic leadership. Currently, authentic leadership theory is based on the modernist psychological assumption that an individual has a “true self,” independent of contextual influences (Caza & Jackson, 2011) Authentic leadership requires self-awareness, which enables the spiritual leader to gain empathy and personal understanding of oneself. When the authentic leader goes through this process, the ability to understand the personal needs and desires of followers is heightened. When understanding is gained, tolerance follows. When understanding and tolerance are combined, appreciation will follow.

Conclusion

Multicultural workforces have potential for higher efficiency and production when spiritual leadership is brought into the process. An increase in diversity may include gender, culture, or age differences to name a few. The spiritual leader may implement diversity trainings for understanding, empathy, and creativity to help develop an effective multicultural work environment.

References

Haynes, M. (2013). Diversifying a white man’s world; how does a lack of diversity in the senior ranks impact strategy, creativity and the bottom line? “it’s a brain drain.”. Strategy, , 20. Retrieved from https://csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/docview/1458458043?accountid=38569

Stahl, G., & Brannen, M. Y. (2013). Building cross-cultural leadership competence: An interview with Carlos Ghosn. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 12(3), 494. Retrieved from https://csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/docview/1465592651?accountid=38569

Hewlett, S., Marshall, M., & Sherbin, L. (2013). How diversity can drive innovation. Harvard Business Review, 91(12), 30.

Davidson, M. N. (1999). The value of being included: An examination of diversity change initiatives in organizations. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 12, 1.

Conger, J. 1993. The Brave New World of Leadership Training. Organizational Dynamics, 21: 46.

Caza, A., & Jackson, B. 2011. Authentic leadership. In A. Bryman, D. Collinson, K. Grint, B. Jackson & M. Uhl-Bien (Eds.), Sage handbook of leadership: 350–362.

Gardner, W. L., Avolio, B. J., & Walumbwa, F. O. 2005. Authentic leadership development: Emergent themes and future directions. In W.