We need cultural intelligence in our churches
A little over a year ago I watched the following video at a pastor’s conference. The focus of the gathering was around holiness in the 21st century but the video cut through to the heart of where culture is going and the need for us to not only be prepared but adaptable as ministry leaders.
This video reveals major changes in our world technologically and culturally. Although these are predictions based on current trends, they give insight that the world is changing and that globalization and the need for cultural intelligence are real and important.
In David Livermore’s book, Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success, Livermore makes it is clear that leaders of the ever globalizing world must be able to adapt to the cultural changes around them. One of his personal examples is of getting it wrong when assuming who the best leaders are in a room, while doing so from a US perspective while in the Czech Republic. Cultural differences in leadership are real not only from country to country but also within varying cultures and ethnicity in the same city, neighborhood, workplace, and even family. Being aware of the need for cultural intelligence and adapting appropriately for varying cultures is necessary for leading positive change.
Defining cultural intelligence as “the capability to function effectively across national, ethnic, and organizational borders,”[1] Livermore has found that cultural intelligence is a needed skill in today’s global economy. As proven from multiple academic studies, “CQ is more a reliable, consistent way to predict how you will lead across cultures than your personality, age, gender, where you’re from, or emotional intelligence.”[2]
The text is framed around four key steps for cultural intelligence (CQ) that closely parallel that of Livermore’s colleagues Soon Ang and Linn Van Dyne and their Handbook of Cultural Intelligence, which came out shortly before Livermore’s. These four concepts include:
Step 1: CQ Drive (motivational dimension) gives us the energy and self-confidence to pursue the needed understanding and planning necessary for a particular cross-cultural project.
Step 2: CQ Knowledge (cognitive dimension) provides us with an understanding of basic cultural issues that are relevant to this project.
Step 3: CQ Strategy (metacognitive dimension) allows us to draw on our cultural understanding so we can plan and interpret what’s going on in this situation.
Step 4: CQ Action (behavioral dimension) provides us with the ability to engage in effective, flexible leadership for this task.[3]
Reviewing academic perspectives to better understand the placement of Livermore’s text, it was obvious that his work has been well received. Comments by one reviewer agreed with Livermore, “As most proponents of cultural intelligence agree, it is not about abandoning our convictions, values, and assumptions to try to ‘become’ the culture of another. Rather, it is respecting other cultures, and seeing how dissimilarities between two people may be part of universal, cultural, or personal differences. Cultural intelligence may help you decide where these differences lie, and how to work through them.”[4]
While Livermore’s work is highly esteemed, it would have been helpful to add a few other elements to his text as Steve Gladis suggested, “While I’d recommend this book to anyone going abroad for business, I suggest two additions. First, add a CQ assessment (even an abbreviated one) in the book for readers. Second, add a consolidated workbook or checklist in the appendix. Both would add value to this very valuable read.” [5] This seems to be true of the book and the website as well. It would be beneficial to have a basic version of the assessment to understand one’s need for cultural intelligence in addition to being able to directly apply CQ content.
Considering my own research of disciple-making with the Other, I am fascinated by the idea of cultural intelligence. It may not seem that cultural intelligence is needed when leading people within the same culture in America but when those we lead are not like us in some way, whether in ethnicity or even gender, there are potential barriers to communication.
I have found this to be true recently when interviewing a woman from a Wesleyan theological tradition. She and her husband just became the first minority leaders over sixty plus churches in their region. However, all of the other leaders in the same position across the county are white and do not know how to relate to their newly appointed minority leaders. They made cultural assumptions and did not demonstrate interest in knowing (step two from above) their new leaders. Unfortunately, the peers to the new leaders were also leading several churches across the rest of the country, which inevitably include a multiplicity of cultures that may not be well received due to the current primary leadership.
The challenge I see with majority leadership in the church, is that as long as the leader (pastor or superintendent) seems to thrive personally in the dominant culture they tend to have little motivation to pursue cultural intelligence. Without the motivation to grow in cultural intelligence the steps of knowledge, strategy, and action rarely follow.
While white people primarily congregate much of our Wesleyan churches with white pastors, we have a growing minority that will likely not be a minority in the near future. If we are unwilling to look ahead to see how the world is changing and continue to only serve those within who look like us, we will have tremendous problems not only with our cultural intelligence but with the future membership of our churches. Livermore speaks to leaders within the church as well when he states, “Leaders who commit to improving the ways they think, plan, and act through intercultural situations have an unusual edge for navigating the fascinating terrain of our curvy, multidimensional world.”[6] The church needs this edge if we are to grow into the future.
[1] Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success. AMACOM Books, New York, 2015, 15.
[2] Livermore, 33.
[3] Livermore, 37.
[4] Miller, Gloria J. “Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success.” Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship. Sheffield Vol 21, 1. Jan 2016, 86-88.
[5] Gladis, Steve. “Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success.” TD Magazine. Vol 69, 8. Aug. 2015, 74.
[6] Livermore, 39.
About the Author
Trisha Welstad
Trisha is passionate about investing in leaders to see them become all God has created them to be. As an ordained Free Methodist elder, Trisha has served with churches in LA and Oregon, leading as a pastor of youth and spiritual formation, a church planter, and as a co-pastor of a church restart. Trisha currently serves as leadership development pastor at Northside Community Church in Newberg, OR. Over the last five years Trisha has directed the Leadership Center, partnering with George Fox and the Free Methodist and Wesleyan Holiness churches. The Leadership Center is a network facilitating the development of new and current Wesleyan leaders, churches and disciples through internships, equipping, mentoring and scholarship. In collaboration with the Leadership Center, Trisha serves as the director of the Institute for Pastoral Thriving at Portland Seminary and with Theologia: George Fox Summer Theology Institute. She is also adjunct faculty at George Fox University. Trisha enjoys throwing parties, growing food, listening to the latest musical creations by Troy Welstad and laughing with her two children.12 responses to “We need cultural intelligence in our churches”
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Thanks for sharing that video. I’ve saved it as it is pertinenet to my research as well.
Great insights here, I actually think Livermoore’s book is BETTER suited to your context than mine, while neither of us represent his target audience–those who travel broadly but not deeply.
This was a goal-mine insight: “The challenge I see with majority leadership in the church, is that as long as the leader (pastor or superintendent) seems to thrive personally in the dominant culture they tend to have little motivation to pursue cultural intelligence.”
How do we help people see that when every believer/leader is not thriving, none of us are? Ie, how do we help them see that even their own perceived “thriving” is lacking when the Other is not included?
Jenn, your question is a good one and a hard one. I do think that Christian leaders need to see the biblical precedent for care of the other/outsider. I also think we need mentoring and immersion into space outside our norms so we see where the gaps are. It’s a hard sell though. I will be learning this over the next few years (and more) I am sure.
Hi Trish!
Rock solid blog! Our denomination has the exact challenges you describe with our overwhelming “whiteness” regardless of our communities ethnicity. I would add to that one other huge cultural phenomenon that we also lag behind (as I believe so does other Wesleyan denominations)–we are also more rural than the general populations. According to PEW Research, most minority groups are trending towards urban centers, with less and less living in rural settings. So, there is a double whammy here, we are very white, and we are very rural, BUT the populations we are hoping to reach are multi colored and are urban!
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts…?
Jay, I think we need to reach our areas well so that is important. But I also think that if we are not planting churches something is wrong. Maybe, like when we go on mission trips and scouting trips for missions, we need to consider the city the mission field and we begin praying, reaching in and developing our cultural awareness so we can present the gospel in those spaces to those people. Sometimes I wonder how important the gospel is to us or if we care more about our comforts. That’s a painful topic in this arena.
Trisha,
Great connection to the Wesleyan tradition and the new minority leaders. The need for all people in church leadership positions to develop CQ is increasingly evident, even those that lead those within their own and/or dominant culture. The Gospel has always been about cross-cultural communication and I am afraid that those traditions which fail to apply Livermore’s text will cease to exist in any meaningful way in the not too distant future. What do you think about that possibility?
Dan, I fully agree with you. It is sad. After watching the video I posted, I couldn’t help but think of my white son and his future. I want him to be culturally intelligent and create space for belonging for people who are not like him. I think much of my research is in reaction to the fact that I want my son and so many others to be part of the church that is emulating the way of Jesus and not just dominant/Christian culture.
Great post Trisha,
I still remember what was said to all of us on the bus as we drove through the tight roads of the poor district in South Africa; “Believe it or not…they are happy.” The realization that as an American, the concept of living in a small shipping container would be equated to a miserable existence; but in South Africa…they were just home. That kind of information is important before you walk into that home and present some form of condescending disdain or faint-hearted sympathy to someone that is happy. Instead of coming across Godly, the ministry minded individual would just come across snobbish and uninformed.
I agreed with the message you gave regarding the disadvantage we face when we are only subjected to the church we have worked in for a long period of time; it makes us desensitized and unconnected to others in the world. How do we obey Christ in His command to go into all the world and make disciples, if we do not prepare ourselves in advance?
As we move forward, what obstacles do see with over-conforming to accommodate an ever-changing world?
Shawn, thanks for your insightful question. I think we have to conform to the gospel and it’s an inclusive one in the way of reaching out to all cultures and people. I don’t see any limits when it comes to Jesus wanting all to know Him. That’s my frame and when I hear things that resonate with gospel truth I am happy to utilize their wisdom toward continued pursuit of the Kingdom. I think Livermore is helpful in part toward that end.
Great first blog of the summer quarter Trisha! That video was fascinating and frightening at the same time and I can see how much we need to be prepared to adapt to our changing culture. I totally agree having a CQ assessment would be valuable, in fact I would love to create a GQ (gender intelligence) assessment as well. I also loved this quote you had at the end…“Leaders who commit to improving the ways they think, plan, and act through intercultural situations have an unusual edge for navigating the fascinating terrain of our curvy, multidimensional world.”
Thoughtful post, particularly about the importance of being able to adapt to the ever-changing future. Your review of the book was kind and perhaps generous. I particularly like the idea of somehow connecting the need for Christians to grow in this area as an aspect of their discipleship. We have to think outside the box in these times.
Chris, I don’t know if I would say generous but after reading your post, I understand why you say so. 🙂 I was thinking toward my project mostly although I did not find much criticism out there and when doing my own research on it, my biggest bias was against him being a white guy writing solo. I am hoping his writing will break through to some white people. I hope!
Trisha,
Great insight in your wrap up, the need to see past who we are and look to see who we will be is a great need in all denominations. I see the same struggles here with churches who have hired their first African American pastor and how the other pastors are connecting with them.
Jason