CQ: Developing Cultural Intelligence at Work (Stanford Business Books)

This book explains to those living and working in another country how to identify and develop their Cultural Intelligence, or CQ. Cultural intelligence is an outsider’s natural ability to interpret and respond to unfamiliar cultural signals in an appropriate manner.

CQ is distinguished by three core features: the head, or the ability to discover new information about a culture; the heart, or one’s motivation and confidence in dealing with a culture; and the body, or the capability to adapt actions and behavior so that they are appropriate in a new culture.

A manager with a high CQ can enter into new cultural settings—national, professional, organizational, regional—and immediately understand what is happening and why, confidently interact with people, and engage in the right actions. Filled with real-world examples and case studies, this book explains how to assess one’s own skills and improve one’s CQ.