Multicultural Leadership

I’ve been really enjoying reading the book Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age by Juana Bordas. It’s a great read, in which she describes leadership based on African American, Latino and Native American leadership models in the US, while making a global connection. Bordas calls us to broaden beyond a single view of leadership and work toward

“an inclusive and adaptable style that cultivates the ability to bring out the best in our diverse workforce and to fashion a sense of community with people from many parts of the globe. This inclusive form of leadership is in sync with many cultures, enabling a wide spectrum of people to engage, contribute and tap their potential.”

At the core of the book are eight principles for leadership in a multicultural age, eight core values that are cornerstones for the cultures she’s exploring. So a little preview of the eight principles Bordas :

1. Sankofa: Learning from the Past
2. I to We: From Individualism to Collective Identity
3. Mi Casa Es Su Casa: A Spirit of Generosity
4. A Leader Among Equals: Community Conferred Leadership
5. Leaders As Guardians of Public Values: A Tradition of Activism
6. Leaders as Community Stewards: Working for the Common Good
7. All My Relatives: La Familia, The Village, The Tribe
8. Gracias: Gratitude, Hope and Forgiveness

I haven’t finished the book yet, but wanted to pass it along as one of my current “must reads” for anyone interested in leadership in these times. I’ve been really loving reading it, and finding myself thinking in new ways with the turn of each page.

And wondering, what are you reading or thinking that helps raise the bar on how we can shift the ways we are together in communities or movements? I’d love to hear!