Enrique Caleb Caceres Melendez

Dr. Bruce Oberstein

Diversity and Organizations

Assignment 4

May 4, 2021

Culture Intelligence

I found what Julia Middleton said on the video titled Cultural intelligence: the

competitive edge for leaders to be extremely interesting and eye opening. It was quite fascinating

to me when the speaker put her concept into a real life example that she had experienced. I was

especially interested in this topic since it had been brought up in the media before as well as a

topic of conversation that I have had with colleagues of mine. It’s interesting to think that on one

side of the spectrum, if you sway more towards flexible, the more people will trust you. It is

critical to acknowledge however that although you may be trusted when having a high flex score,

you’re less likely to recognize your own core beliefs since you sway so much for other people.

On the other hand, if you lean more towards the core side of the spectrum as opposed to

the flexible end, you’re not to be understood by a vast majority of people. As a result, it forms

this frustrating cycle of miscommunication and stereotypes. As Middleton mentioned on several

occasions, a common argument that is made is that we shouldn’t be forced to dress up a certain

way to fit others’ culture when they don’t do the same when they come into our culture. The

most prominent example being a Western cultured woman entering a Middle Eastern cultured

community versus a Middle Eastern cultured woman entering a Western cultured community.

However, as Julia mentioned, when she entered that Middle Eastern community what she

wore and how she dressed was on her flex, meaning it was not essential to her core or her deep
held beliefs. Meanwhile, what the women of the other culture wore was indeed at their core.

Without addressing our prejudices, it would be difficult for humans to understand a world

outside their own core beliefs. We must be able to acknowledge that not everybody will think or

act like us or the people within our culture, and that it is beneficial for everyone to learn from

one another’s cultures and perspectives. I agree with Julie when she talks about the crucial

element that cultural intelligence has in everyday life. Including its power to remind a large

population of humans that inclusivity and diversity are key roles to acceptance of civilization. I

enjoyed the way the speaker described the world as a place that although at times can feel so

small, it is an ever changing environment that is growing bigger and bigger.