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In this podcast episode, I’m joined by Lucy Butters, a Master Facilitator with the Cultural Intelligence Centre, a CQ Fellow- an elite CQ certification, and the author of the recently published ‘Cultural Intelligence in Practi
Lucy shares why adaptation and self-awareness matter as much as what you know. We talk about listening as a core leadership skill, how identity and culture shape who gets heard, and why silence, pace and the way we respond all carry meaning. Plus, why the rapid growth of AI makes Cultural Intelligence more important, not less.
Lucy Butters has been working to support organisations to be more inclusive and internationally effective since founding her training and coaching company Elembee Ltd in 2010. A CIPD qualified trainer, one of Lucy’s passions is working with trainers and facilitators to develop and enhance their training CQ capability. Lucy lives in Glasgow with her husband and as parents of triplet sons, they are frequently reminded of the need to adjust thinking, actions and expectations.
What you will learn in this episode:
- What Cultural Intelligence really means and how it differs from cultural awareness
- Why knowledge alone does not lead to effective cross-cultural working
- The four capabilities of Cultural Intelligence and how they work together as a core leadership skill
- Why listening is culturally shaped
- How communication styles, silence and pace affect understanding
- Why AI requires stronger human judgement and Cultural Intelligence
- How Cultural Intelligence supports leadership in times of uncertainty
If you want to deepen your understanding, Lucy’s book offers practical insights from experts around the world.
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Episode overview:
In recent years, conversations about leadership, inclusion and communication have become more urgent and more complex. We are working across cultures, generations, disciplines and technologies in ways that would have felt unimaginable even a decade ago. Yet many leaders are still being asked to rely on skills that are too narrow, too static, or simply not evolved for the reality they are facing.
That is why my conversation with Lucy Butters felt so timely. Lucy works internationally with organisations, universities and healthcare professionals, and is one of a small number of Master Facilitators with the Cultural Intelligence Centre and a CQ Fellow, as well as the recently published author of ‘Cultural Intelligence in Practice’.
Her work sits at the intersection of effectiveness, inclusion and human behaviour, and it offers a grounded way of thinking about how we actually work well across difference.
Moving Beyond Cultural Awareness
One of the strongest themes in our conversation was the limitation of cultural awareness on its own. Awareness is a starting point, but it does not tell you what to do next.
Lists of dos and don’ts, country stereotypes, or surface-level facts might feel reassuring, but they rarely help when you are sitting in a real conversation with a real person who does not behave as expected. As Lucy puts it, awareness without action only focuses on ‘what’, not ‘so what’ or ‘now what’.
Cultural Intelligence offers something more robust. It is rooted in research that has identified four capabilities consistently present in people and organisations that work effectively across cultures, whether that culture relates to nationality, profession, gender, generation or organisational norms.
The Four Capabilities of Cultural Intelligence
The first capability is CQ Drive- your motivation to engage and work effectively across difference. Without this, nothing else really follows.
The second is CQ Knowledge- understanding cultural similarities and differences. This is where many people feel most comfortable, and where much cultural training tends to focus. Knowledge matters, but on its own it is limited.
The third is CQ Strategy or metacognition, thinking about your thinking. This is the ability to question your assumptions, notice where your interpretations come from, and adjust your approach in real time.
The fourth is CQ Action, your ability to adapt your behaviour, communication and responses. This is often underestimated, because knowing something does not automatically make it easy to do something differently, especially when discomfort or uncertainty is present.
Together, these capabilities create flexibility, not scripts.
Why Listening Is a Leadership Skill
Listening emerged as a powerful and often overlooked theme in our conversation. We tend to associate communication with speaking, presenting or persuading, yet listening is where most misunderstandings can either deepen or dissolve.
Listening is active, effortful and culturally shaped. Who we listen to, when we listen, how long we pause, and how quickly we respond all carry meaning. Identity also plays a role. Voices are not heard equally, and cultural and gendered assumptions influence whose contributions are acknowledged and valued.
For leaders, listening should not be passive. It is a deliberate choice to slow down, notice what is being said and what is not, and resist the urge to immediately jump in to solve or fix.
One-Way or Mutual Communication
We also explored the difference between written and spoken communication, and the tensions that can arise when messages do not align with behaviour. Written communication can feel authoritative and permanent, yet it is one-directional. Spoken communication allows for adjustment, nuance and bridging.
Cultural Intelligence in an AI-Shaped World
While AI systems can process vast amounts of data and present information confidently, they do not currently read the wider context, nonverbal cues or human complexity in the way humans do.
Rather than replacing Cultural Intelligence, AI makes it more necessary. The more automated and accelerated our environments become, the more leaders need the capacity to pause, question, interpret and respond thoughtfully.
Cultural Intelligence is not about having the right answer. It is about asking better questions.
Staying Grounded in Uncertainty
One of the most practical insights Lucy shared was the importance of pausing. In moments of tension, confusion or frustration, a brief pause, even a breath, can interrupt automatic reactions and create space for choice.
This ability to stay grounded is increasingly vital for leaders navigating volatility, uncertainty and rapid change. Cultural Intelligence supports this steadiness. It helps leaders hold ambiguity without rushing to judgement.
Cultural Intelligence is not a technique to master once. It is a capability you build over time, layer by layer, as the world around you continues to change.
If you want to go deeper, Lucy’s book, Cultural Intelligence in Practice, offers rich perspectives from experts around the world.
