It is a world-wide phenomenon: immigration and cross-border living and working arrangements. The foreign-born population make up over 13% (or 43.2 million people!) of the entire US population (Cohn, 2017), there are more than a fourfold increase from the 1960’s of immigrants that call the US home (Lopez & Radford, 2107), salaries for H-1B work visas in the US are rising (Ruiz & Krogstad, 2017), and while there h
as been a 10% decline in babies born to US-born women, there has been a 6% increase in babies born to immigrant women between 1990 and 2015 (Livingston, 2017). All these stats to make one point: the world is changing. More specifically, the population of the United States is changing and whether you like it or not, you are more likely today than ever before to live next to or work with an immigrant with a different cultural outlook than your “American way”. Immigration can change the social fabric of a host country (Moran, et.al, 2014), and it is no different here.
“Worldmindedness” is a global awareness of other cultures and people. It is the opposite of hate and fear toward those that are different. And in today’s world, we have a true opportunity to create greater understanding of various cultures (Moran, et.al, 2014 p. 10-11). Culture in short can be said to be the way that things are done and seen in a specific place or setting. And culture influences people’s believe of who they are, where they belong, how they should behave. Culture is a dynamic driving force behind human behavior (Moran, et.al, 2014, p. 11).
And while our culture impacts our behavior and belief sys
tem we should be reminded that to some extent, all people are like all other people. We are all unique, but as Einstein said, we are all alike people of our own tribe (Moran, et.al, 2014). Culture is taught and our experiences as children have solid effects on personality and behavior, we learn our culture from our tribe (Moran, et.al, 2014). Einstein also famously said that you can’t solve a problem with the same mindset that created it. An excellent reminder that in order to understand other cultures, we must rethink the way our own cultural thinking impacts our perception of other cultures. In order to understand it, we have to change our level of consciousness.
Worldmindedness is about respect for other cultures and avoiding the need to judge people simply based upon their cultural background. It’s the antithesis of ethnocentrism: the belief that your own culture and values are superior to those of your neighbors. It’s about human rights. It’s about having diverse skills, listening for understanding, broadening one’s perspective on an interconnected global world. It’s about truly believing that we are all human, and appreciating the impact of another’s culture as much as you do your own cultural background. And thus not imposing your own cultural attitude on that of another culture (Moran, et.al, 2014).
Becoming worldminded is an important skill and trait to develop, and luckily research points to the fact to global leaders are not born , but made (Moran, et.al, 2014). Worldmindedness is “a frame of reference apart from knowledge about or interest in international relations…the individual who favors a world-view of humanity, whose primary reference group is mankind, rather than American, English, Chinese, etc.” (Sampson & Smith, 1957). I think we can all learn from this definition and grow into better people, better managers, and better leaders by adapting our frame of mind.
How apropos to discuss Worldmindedness in our changing social climate! I think this is an incredible concept that we can all apply to our daily lives, but additionally in a global work environment can also be positively impactful. If we work to engage and understand one another not only do we build connections and relationships, we are connecting with a wider range of problem solvers and fresh eyes. Our perceptions and experiences are impacted by our background and thus the way we navigate the world is varied and so our approach to work and trouble-shooting is different. Working alongside people with different experiences and cultural values can positively affect the work environment and productivity if given the opportunity.
The International Leadership Association (ILA) promotes that the study and practice of leadership is “for the greater good of individuals and communities worldwide” (Robinson, p. 79). Allowing people room to be themselves in diverse work environments and making an effort to understand internationalization and globalization, while working to understand other cultures is vital to this idea. Yes, globalization is happening, but we have to make the effort to engage with it in a positive and effective way.
Gayle Avery argues in Understanding Leadership that the context and climate for today’s leadership is in a world that is becoming “more differentiated and yet more similar globally, and more intricately connected both internally and externally. We exist in a globalizing world of multicultural and multinational workforces” (Avery, p. 6). We are more connected than ever, and while this will continue, there are some that will continue to fight this progression.
Dr. Robinson goes on further to reference Judith Kipper and her suggestion that the “need for exchange in both directions, in my view, is a crucial, critical, vital interest of the US….[If we really understood]…that other cultures are as good as ours…not better, not worse, we’re simply different….How that would change us. How that would enlighten us. How that would get rid of our fear.” I couldn’t agree more with this quote, I’m all for Worldmindedness and all of us making an effort to exchange ideas and connect with one another.
Avery, G. (2004). Understanding Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Robinson, B. D. (2005). Bringing “Worldmindedness” to Students of Leadership . Journal of Leadership Education,4(1), 79-89. Retrieved September 1, 2017, from http://www.journalofleadershiped.org/attachments/article/133/JOLE_4_1_Robinson.pdf