Based on the summary below, how true is this and is this beneficial for leadership?

As a leader operating in this interconnected globalized world, it is important to be competent in cross-cultural communication and it is important to ensure that the team is allowed to develop their competency also. Cultures include shared norms, perceptions, espoused values, and consensus around goals objectives. It includes the way people interact with others, how they justify themselves, and the way they solve problems (Duncan, 2018; Macionis, 2017; Mohd Ibrahim, 2015, E1).

Cross-cultural communication is the new normal in business because of the interconnectedness of commerce. It is imperative as a leader to understand cultural diversity; that there a multivariant cultural elements and subcultures that exist in any one society (Mohd Ibrahim, 2015, E3; DeMarco, 2019). Therefore, it is important to develop an awareness of the individual cultures and their respective language of verbal and nonverbal communication. Mutual acceptance and understanding need to be cultivated and demanded within the organization. It is also important to keep communication clear, unambiguous, and simple, to reduce instances of miscommunication. It is also important as a leader to be self-aware and be able to identify when assistance is needed in understanding another culture. A translator or cultural expert may be needed when having to conduct business with a foreign country. One needs to know when to move past Google translate and get an expert involved. If not, it can lead to major financial losses (Jiidee, 2020; (MTCT, n.d.).

Effective cross-cultural communication as a leader requires mindfulness and intentionality. It is important to analyze the unique attributes, attitudes, behaviors, and habits of other cultures before passing judgment and making predictions. It is important to avoid categorizing and stereotyping as it creates implicit blinders that preclude us from truly listening to and understanding those with whom we are communicating (Banaji & Greenwald, 2016; Dumais, n.d; Mohd Ibrahim, 2015, E4).

It is of paramount importance to understand whether the culture is high-context versus low-context. The U.S. is a highly mobile environment, where people need a lower-context culture as more information is needed to provide context. In stable environments where people are rooted, the culture provides a richer, higher context that facilitates more shared understanding. Another element of culture to be considered is whether the culture is monochronic versus polychronic in their understanding and management of time. Time is viewed as fixed, linear, and sequential in monochronic cultures. Therefore, monochronic leaders divide the day into time slots, schedule time, and focus on specific tasks during predetermined time blocks. Time is perceived as continuous having no beginning nor end, just a continuum. Leaders from polychronic cultures would not appreciate a detailed and scheduled day (Switzer,2017).

Leaders are important in establishing company culture. When there are multiple cultures represented, it is the leaders responsibility to ensure they are acknowledged, accepted, learned, and incorporated into the overall organizational culture. Culture has a dynamic impact on the way we live. To effectively connect with persons from other cultures, we need to take the cultures of others seriously and we need to be aware of how their culture affects us. This helps us understand ourselves more and what differentiates us from and connects us to others. It keeps us continually learning and growing as individuals, providing a sense of self-awareness and vitality as we become vulnerable with others and build an environment of trust by walking in the shoes of another (Dumais, n.d.)