Years ago I was given a little book by David Livermore about the importance of cultural understanding in short term missions. Since then I’ve read pretty much everything David has written, and his most recent book Driven by Difference: How Great Companies Fuel Innovation Through Diversity is my new favorite.
What I like about this book is the emphasize on “how” instead of the “why.” I’ve read all the books and articles about why diversity is important. I’ve watched the TED talks and sat in seminars about cultural awareness. I’ve taken the CQ and IDI and all the other tests about my cultural intelligence. All good and important.
But at the end of the day they lack tangible objectives on how to move forward. We don’t need more discussion groups on the topic; we need ways to implement what we have learned.
David aims to address that with this book. He gives practical examples of how to create a diverse team, nurture their differences while maintaining balance, and harnessing the different perspectives to truly innovate. It’s practical, tangible, and gives new energy to creating a diverse team.
If you lead teams in a multicultural setting, or if you need to create a more culturally aware team, this is a great book to help you get started.