Contextual Quotent (CQ) on top of IQ and EQ

Here is the bottom line. I have had a tremendous learning and networking experience at the conference - there is absolutely no doubt about that. If there was one thing that I do wish to see more of, it would be a more diverse mix of conference speakers in terms of cultural background and experience.

In this respect Dr. Motoo Unno's presentation on "Contrasts in Leadership and Identity: The Multicultural Barack Obama and the Monocultural Overseas Japanese Manager" was a refreshing eye-opener. Dr. Unno draws on his personal involvement in the grassroots campaign for President Obama during the elections to identify and observe the leadership traits of President Obama. Combined with other credible sources inlcuding general knowledge about the president, articles written about the president, exerpts from books written by the president himself and in depth observation and analyses about leadership traits portrayed by the president, Dr. Unno concludes that President Obama exhibits a blend of both transformational and transactional leadership qualities.

Dr. Unno attributes this to the multicultural background of President Obama - how his rich cultural experience since childhood was elemental in shaping an identity and character that is 'sensitive to culture and diversity', a hallmark of the identity and character of the president.

Nevertheless, the point that drove home a powerful message to me was that this 'sensitivity' could be learned and developed. Dr. Unno demonstrates this most aptly through contrasting effective and ineffective Japanese managers of companies operating in China and India. In this instance both these groups of managers were 'monocultural'. According to Dr. Unno, why one group thrives (effective) whilst the other fails (ineffective) was largely dependent on 'contextual intelligence' i.e. how well they were able to appreciate the shift in context, how much they were able to gauge and learn about the new context, and how well they could adjust accordingly. To me it was a seminal point in the presentation - I believe that Dr. Unno has just coined the term 'Contextual Quotent (CQ)'. Perhaps in this post-global world where everything is influenced by global forces (this is taken from the presentation by Dean Foster - another great session), I believe that CQ will very soon become an important quality to look for in a leader.

Dr. Unno's style is something that I feel deserves more credit and space in this entry. The documented efforts of canvassing for President Obama was interpolated with soul searching and self awareness on his part. The delivery was personal, yet sincere. I don't profess to speak for everyone but it reached out to me and drew me to share his personal journey through layers and layers of cultural awareness - first as a Japanese student who has had to make many mistakes in order to learn and adapt to the American culture; then being constantly mistaken as Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean; and finally being taken for granted as an American during his canvassing adventure. This topic is unarguably his of right - he stands as an authority who could accurately testify to 'monocultural' Japan, 'multicultural America' and perhaps everything in between.

Perhaps most would remember the humour and laughter that punctuated the session. The beauty of it all was how the richness in content was not one bit compromised in what I would call a truly wholesome and phenomenal presentation.