Your multicultural identity makes you a stronger leader. Here’s how.
LEADERS: Your multicultural identity is your edge.
So much more than part of your personal history, it directly shapes your leadership identity, your communication style, your problem-solving lens, and your ability to lead with empathy.
In a world where leadership can (and should) look different for everyone, your multicultural identity is something to honor, grow, and leverage!
Let’s talk about the unique strengths you carry – and how to lead from them with even more intention.
Why your multicultural identity makes you a stronger leader
When you’ve lived across cultures, adapted to different norms, and navigated layered expectations, you naturally develop a set of multicultural leadership skills that are becoming more and more essential in a world of increasing diversity and globalization.
Let’s walk through a few I see (and love) in our community all the time:
FLUENT communication
You’ve probably learned to adjust how you speak and listen to the culture you’re in — perhaps without even realizing it. You read nuance. You adapt. You build trust across a wide range of people. That’s one of the most powerful global leadership skills you can have.
✨ Try this: Notice how your team communicates. Do they need clarity? Space? Energy? Use your flexibility to meet them where they are — and you’ll build a culture where people feel heard.
High cultural intelligence (CQ)
Cultural intelligence in the workplace isn’t a bonus anymore — it’s a must-have. Your lived experiences give you an intuitive understanding of how to bridge differences, spot friction points, and hold space for everyone to belong.
✨ Try this: When something gets lost in translation, step in with empathy and context. You’re not just mediating — you’re modeling inclusive leadership in action.
Adaptability and resilience
When you’ve had to navigate different environments, expectations, and systems, you build a kind of inner strength that doesn’t shake easily. You know how to shift gears and stay grounded at the same time. And that energy? It’s contagious.
✨ Try this: Talk about how you’ve handled change. Invite your team into that mindset. When you model resilience, it helps others move through uncertainty with more confidence.
Broader perspective and innovation
If you’ve ever thought, “There’s more than one way to look at this,” that’s your superpower speaking. Leaders from diverse backgrounds often come with wider lenses, deeper curiosity, and a fearlessness for creating something new.
✨ Try this: In your next strategy session, pause and ask: What are we not seeing yet? Whose voice is missing? That kind of expansive thinking leads to true innovation.
What companies actually want in leaders
From what I’ve been seeing, the leaders rising in today’s workplace aren’t the loudest or the most polished. They’re the ones who are:
Empathetic – who listen and lead with understanding
Clear communicators – across difference and complexity
Adaptable – not just surviving change, but helping whole teams navigate it
Innovative – bringing new solutions to old challenges
Sound familiar? These aren’t skills you need to chase – you’re probably already holding them.
How to embrace your cultural identity as a leader
You don’t need to “fix” anything about yourself to lead effectively. But you can create space to grow and reflect.
Here’s where I recommend starting:
Engage in inclusive leadership development. (We design programs for this at Rising Legacy – I’d love to build one for your team!)
Build your circle of support. Find peers and mentors who get it.
Practice self-reflection. Ask: How does my culture shape the way I lead?
Give back. Mentorship matters. Your leadership story can be a bridge for someone else.
My challenge to you
What’s one way you can honor your cultural identity as part of your leadership this week – not separate from it?
Maybe it’s telling your story a little more boldly. Maybe it’s inviting another woman into a space where she can lead too. Or maybe it’s just choosing to lead in a way that feels deeply, authentically you. I’m cheering you on!
Lead the way,
