Cultural Competence In Social Leadership

As the world becomes more accessible and American society becomes more diverse, possession of cultural competence is becoming increasingly important. The chances of leading an organization or work team in which all members think like you, work like you, and have the same values as you are next to none, and ignoring these differences as a leader leads to dissatisfied employees, low productivity, and even lawsuits. Cultural competence is of utmost importance to anyone whose job brings them into contact with other people, whether coworkers or customers. Cultural competence is broadly defined as having a certain set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that allow one to function and manage well in a cross-cultural setting (National Center for Cultural Competence [NCCC], n.d.). The details of what this looks like vary depending on the field in which one is working. However, one key factor to developing these inclusive values, beliefs, and attitudes, it to first value diversity. If a leader does not understand the importance of diversity, they likely will not be able to cultivate a spirit of cultural competency. In addition to valuing …show more content…
A social leader values collaboration, seeks input from others, and fosters a workplace in which all employees are encouraged to share their ideas (Afshar, 2013). Social leaders empower their employees to take on new challenges, and support employees to succeed in these areas where they take the initiative to stretch themselves. A social leader encourages their employees to grow and gives honest, constructive feedback as needed (Afshar, 2013). They help knit the social fabric of an organization and take the approach that taking the time and money to ensure a content, empowered work force generates more profit than squeezing as much savings from the workforce as possible to generate profits by reducing