Cultural Dexterity: What Makes a Difference?

Globalization is transforming business, bringing teams and markets together from all corners of the globe. Leaders now face daily challenges in diverse cultural settings, making cultural dexterity a must-have skill.

But it’s not just about recognizing different cultures—it’s about leveraging those differences to spark innovation and achieve business results. “Cultural dexterity is a skill that leaders and teams will need to build, much like building a muscle,” says Jay Sukumaran, Associate Client Partner in Korn Ferry’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practice. “It’s about going beyond understanding diverse teams to connecting with them in a meaningful way and adapting to cultural nuances to drive optimal business impact through innovation, growth, and collective problem solving.”

“This is going to be a competency that will ultimately provide a competitive edge in the global marketplace,” Sukumaran adds.

Previous Korn Ferry research has revealed the skills and traits needed for effective inclusive leadership. To dig deeper, the Korn Ferry Institute conducted three comprehensive studies on how traits support cultural dexterity, focusing situational adaptability, expatriate success, and effective cross-cultural collaboration. And what researchers found is that anyone can learn to adapt to situations despite their predisposition.

Assisting Cultural Dexterity

Cultural dexterity manifests in various ways at work. We identified three approaches to understand the traits that distinguish people with high cultural dexterity—specifically those that boost Situational Adaptability, drive success for expatriates, and differentiate people who work across cultures. “By doing three studies with different demands for cultural dexterity, we were able to identify both traits that are key to success in multiple situations and those that stand out in a single context calling for dexterity,” says Sarah Hezlett, Vice President of Assessment Science in the Korn Ferry Institute, Korn Ferry’s research arm. “It was a great opportunity to accumulate scientific evidence on how traits may enable cultural dexterity in different ways.”

Our key findings include:

• Situational Adaptability is a key competency for effective leadership and is strongly shaped by traits such as Openness to Differences, Empathy, and Curiosity. People can actively cultivate high Situational Adaptability through intentional efforts—even if they don’t naturally possess these traits—highlighting their potential for personal growth in diverse work environments.
• For expatriates, Assertiveness is essential for engaging and succeeding in a new cultural context. While traits related to Striving, such as Need for Achievement, matter for everyone, the ability to take charge and direct others is especially critical for those adapting to a new environment. This underscores the importance of cultural dexterity and the unique traits that support it.
• Employees working with colleagues from different countries tend to have higher Openness to Differences but lower Assertiveness and Credibility. This suggests that cultural dexterity requires a willingness to embrace diverse perspectives, even if it means being less assertive or consistent in actions.
• Though certain traits are important, and higher scores are linked to better situational adaptation, there is no evidence that a minimum level of any enabling trait is required to adapt to situations. In other words, while traits set us up for success as inclusive leaders, we can learn to exhibit inclusive leadership behaviors in spite of them. For example, an employee who knows they are low in Openness to Differences might schedule more time to connect intentionally with colleagues from different backgrounds.

Working Across Cultures

Expatriates—employees working in countries different from their own—often encounter unpredictable situations. With the rise of remote work, more professionals are collaborating with colleagues from diverse regions and cultures. Now more than ever, employees need to consider different perspectives, as unwritten rules can lead to misunderstandings. Even small decisions matter: When should you email instead of call? When is it best to be formal or informal? And when is direct or indirect communication expected?  

For expatriates, our models found that Assertiveness is a key driver for engagement, controlling for region and job level. The trait helps them engage and succeed in new cultural contexts by taking charge and directing others. While traits related to Striving (a.k.a. Conscientiousness), such as Need for Achievement, are important for everyone, Assertiveness is uniquely critical for those adapting to new environments. “We know that employees in contexts that require learning new cultures are particularly likely to thrive if they enjoy taking charge,” says Mariah Moore, Data Scientist with the Korn Ferry Institute.  “Assertiveness can be beneficial for all employees, but the engagement of non-expatriates was supported by a wider variety of traits.”

Our research also showed that employees who work with colleagues from different countries tend to have higher Openness to Differences but lower Assertiveness and Credibility. This suggests that cultural dexterity requires a willingness to embrace diverse perspectives, even if it means being less assertive or consistent in actions.

Developing Cultural Dexterity

Cultural dexterity isn’t just an innate talent—it can be developed. Korn Ferry’s research found no evidence that a minimum level of any enabling trait is needed to be high on situational adaptability. This means that with the right focus, anyone can become an inclusive leader, adept at navigating diverse cultural landscapes. “Inclusive Leadership requires both honing our mindsets and our skill sets,” says Brandon Farrugia, Senior Client Partner in Korn Ferry’s Advisory Practice.

Mindsets, Farrugia says, are influenced by traits and can be changed over time—starting first with self-awareness, then by “intentionally challenging our internal voice.” Skills sets, on the other hand, are developed through practice and learning from experiences that help expand our capabilities. “Both are required to be an inclusive leader in today’s highly diverse and rapidly changing environment,” he says.

For organizations looking to develop cultural dexterity, our research highlights the importance of encouraging inclusive leadership behaviors. By embracing different ways of working and communicating, businesses can create a more inclusive and innovative environment. What’s more, understanding and developing the traits that support cultural dexterity can unlock new levels of collaboration and performance, leading organization to global success.