Chapter 5: Women Leading Through the Lens of Cultural Intelligence

The 21st century welcomed many changes and challenges in the workplace and within the field of leadership. Women working in for-profit and not for profit organizations are now being promoted to top leadership positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013a) reported that over 51% of women now make up management and professional positions within organizations. Furthermore, women are now being considered for expatriate positions more than in the past 20 years. Yet with this increase, there is still not enough understanding of how women expatriates demonstrate and lead with cultural intelligence.

This research builds on the existing empirical studies that have focused primarily on leadership skills and styles of women and how these relate to a woman’s ability to be successful in a global environment. The purpose of this study goes beyond the examination of leadership styles by focusing on how cultural intelligence catalyzes women to be successful in an ever-changing, diverse landscape.