Inspired by “Championing Organization Wellness” by Dr. Anthony L. Simmons
Cultural agility means having the ability to adjust your behavior and communication style to fit different cultural settings. It’s not about always doing what others do. Instead, it’s about knowing when to adapt, when to lead with your own values, and when to meet others halfway.
There are three key responses leaders can use to practice cultural agility:
- Cultural Adaptation – This is when you adjust your behavior to fit into the local culture. It shows respect and helps build trust in unfamiliar environments.
- Cultural Minimization – Sometimes, your own values or organizational goals must come first. In these moments, you lead with your cultural norms while staying respectful.
- Cultural Integration – This happens when you find a middle ground that brings value to all parties. Compromise creates stronger, more inclusive teams.
Culturally agile leaders know how to toggle between these responses based on the situation. They don’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, they assess the environment, understand the people they’re working with, and choose the best response to move forward effectively.
This ability is especially important in leadership coaching. Coaches must be aware of how culture shapes behavior. They also need to understand their own cultural biases and learn how to lead across differences. The more culturally agile a coach is, the better they can guide leaders through complex, global challenges.
But cultural agility isn’t something you learn once and forget. It’s a skill that grows through experience, learning, and self-reflection. Culturally agile leaders are curious. They listen deeply, adapt quickly, and constantly seek to understand others.
In his book Championing Organization Wellness, Dr. Anthony L. Simmons outlines how cultural agility plays a central role in building strong leadership teams across the world. Through his unique coaching triangulation model, Dr. Simmons shows how leaders can shift their approach based on cultural needs and still stay aligned with the organization’s goals. The result? Teams that work better together, grow faster, and perform at a higher level—no matter where they are in the world.
