Intercultural competency is human capital in modern life. You will increase your worth as a member of an organization with skills that enable you to assist in promoting inclusion and exploiting the promise of diversity. However, few people understand what intercultural competency entails. Intercultural competency is human capital made up a set of four components: (a) Attitude/Self Awareness; (b) Intercultural Knowledge; (c) Intercultural Skills; and (d) Intercultural Leadership Skills.

While you may think that the leadership skills are not relevant to your immediate situation, keep in mind that organizations are increasingly relying on teams to meet the demands of a fast moving, ever-changing world, and that every team member plays a leadership role in high functioning teams. Below is a list of skill components that are characteristic of intercultural competency.

1. An ability to empathize with the unique perspective of different members of the organization, especially individuals who are most different from you.

2. The ability to listen to others, especially when intercultural differences pose challenges (e.g., the person has a strong accent, the person is highly emotional, the person shares views that are counter to one’s own, etc.).

3. An ability to notice subtle, but important, nonverbal cues.

4. The ability to lead people in a way that members of different groups feel supported and able to bring their whole selves to the organization.

5. An ability to tolerate the ambiguity that results from not knowing what the rules are or what is expected of you in unfamiliar situations.

6. An ability to know when your limitations interfere with your ability to interact with someone who is different.

7. An ability to lean into the discomfort of feeling misunderstood or rejected that often comes with learning new behaviors, so that you can work towards competence.

8. An ability to take risks so that you can practice intercultural skills.

9. An ability to see value in each and every culture to the point that learning about cultural differences becomes a way of life.

10. An ability to address the challenges of intercultural interactions, rather than blame people for poor interaction outcomes.