Cross cultural understanding is often key to problem solving. Sometimes we have to identify issues and solve problems within our own communities, organizations or small circles, but that does not always mean that everyone will have the same thoughts about a situation or how to handle it. This is where good leadership comes in handy. 

We must recognize that our "culture" whatever the factors that make up that culture,  influences our leadership and our leadership also affects culture. In problem solving, it is always important to make sure that everyone's voice is heard but we must also realize that usually "making everyone happy" is not realistic and should not be the ultimate goal-but instead to come to a conclusion/resolution that best fits to address the issue. 

In the LEAD Tier III Cross Cultural workshop we used Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions model and applied it to organizations or groups that we are in and then we walked through a collaborative multicultural problem-solving process. The process is as follows: 1) Identify the Problem, 2) Consider all different perspectives of those involved, 3) Identify challenges and opportunities within the conflict, 4) Brainstorm various approaches and strategies, 5) Turn your strategies into a solid plan of action, and 6) Identify expected outcomes. 

This is a great model that I feel can be used to help solve any conflict big or small, multicultural or otherwise. As a leader, it is important to think about how to go about effective problem-solving and how to get those involved to see past their own points-of-views, which are naturally self-centered and get them to see the perspectives of others in the group. Once you have open-minds in a group joined with some empathy/understanding, I think you will be well on the road to better compromise. Now, this is much easier said than done and sometimes resolving conflicts may involve people being dismissed or people walking away, as that is life. However, a leader must be confident in their final decision and that that was the best possible one made for the betterment of the group, organization, etc. 

Well, this is my senior year in college and I am in the third and final tier of the Elon LEAD program. As a part of the third tier, participants are required to take a TAIS inventory assessment, which is similar to Myers-Briggs but much better may I say! The TAIS includes about 144 items that you have to answer and at the end, a 20 page document is printed that let's you know about your leadership style preferences in a few categories which include your 1) Attentional styles, 2) Self-confidence, 3) Competitiveness, 4) Social styles, and your 5) Communications styles. This report lets you know how you scored on a scale in comparison to a large pool of successful business professionals and how they scored. I feel that this assessment read me quite accurately. I would just like to share some of my findings with you!

For my attentional styles, the TAIS revealed that I am "above average" in my ability to switch from one style of attention to another and also in my ability to stay focused without letting outside sights and sounds distract me. It further pointed out that I am not satisfied with a job until it is done well and done right!!! It read that "I am probably renowned for my organized and sometimes meticulous ways for completing tasks on time." I know this to be true because in my leadership roles, I am always reminding those I am working with of things that need to be done and they always say to me "Thanks Yasmine for keeping the fire under my butt," or "You keep me on my toes, Yas." Somehow the TAIS was also able to gather that I do not do well under intense supervision or frequent monitoring. Yes, this is true because if someone is watching over me with such close surveillance, it makes me feel like they do not think I am capable of doing what I was asked to do. 

In my orientation break-down, TAIS indicated that because I am so organized and disciplined in my behavior and ability to pay attention, I often do not understand people who are unorganized and do not follow through on their promises/deadlines-and this is so true!!!  

In my Drive and Confidence evaluation, I scored in the 95 percentile-well above the population average yet, I have a low need to control people or situations. This is true. I am highly confident (though not cocky) in my abilities and I know I can do a great job, however, no I do not feel a need to be in control of everything all the time because I realize that no one person can do it all. If you try to take on everything you will either become forgetful, get sloppy in your work performance or just burn yourself out and I'm not one for any of those! TAIS identified that I am a master at delegation, which I am. There are not too many projects I will take on, in which I will not delegate tasks to others. Also, I will not argue with you to get my way. If you have a strong opinion, I believe you are entitled to that opinion, but I will still hold true to mine also-but I will not argue! Arguing is childish to me. TAIS says that people like me often seek approval so much, that even if something irritates us we won't say it and will only focus on the positive. I have noticed I can be quite passive, but I am learning to speak up for myself because otherwise people will smell your weakness and walk all over you for as long as you let them. 

MY favorite of all of this was the evaluation on extroversion and introversion and check this-I am at extremely high levels of both! Oh, you didn't know someone could be both did you?! TAIS was able to identify that I love to socialize with people and I love the spotlight, but I also love and highly value my privacy. So because of this, some people think they know me, but they really don't. And sometimes when I do not want to hang out-people will be confused because they think I'm an extrovert all the time, when I honestly want to just chill out by myself in my room in the evenings and even on weekends. TAIS says, my biggest need is to be honest with myself first about my dual need for the spotlight and for privacy! I'm not even going to deny-this is all true. 

In terms of my Communications style I am one who almost never expresses my anger aloud or in public. TAIS says, "Your main approach to getting your way is to try to charm others." Hhhmmm, how did they know?! Aaaww, I'm busted! lol TAIS points out to me that I can still voice my opinion and be liked and respected. (This is something I learned this summer). TAIS says that not expressing anger at all is not good-because it can lead to hurtful outbursts that will startle people. Little does TAIS know that I do have outlets for my anger. I express it to my two best friends and also take it out in the gym. 

Whhheeww that was a lot, but all and all it REALLY did help me to get to know myself better and help me understand how I act and react to people. I suggest if you can, that you take it yourself also. It cost like $40, but if you would like to learn more about yourself and your leadership styles and habits-I think it will make you a better leader and help you understand why you do the things that you do! This is important because when you lead others, you need to know yourself better than anyone!!! 

This is the hard part. I really miss Ghana. I have been back in the U.S. for about four days now, but I still miss the people very much. I miss their company, their kindness and their laughter. 

I've mentioned some of these in previous posts, but yes, being in Ghana surely has helped me to grow as a leader. While I was there, I spoke in front of large crowds--this includes giving speeches and reciting poetry. Each time I spoke or recited something, I did it a little different to see how people would react to it. I made it a point to often hang around the Ghanaians and not always stay with my Elon peers. Don't get me wrong I spent time with my peers, but part of being in a different place is to get to know the natives there and how they do things.

In addition, I noticed early on during the trip that the Elon group became very clingy to one another and also divided. We had a certain number of blacks and a certain number of whites from Elon and both groups seemed to divide and hang out with each other. The same with the Ghanaian dance company...they would often keep to themselves in the beginning. I was one of the ones who decided to step up and bridge the gap. At lunch, I would see one table full of blacks and another full of whites and I would encourage everyone to combine the tables to make one big long table and before you knew it, after a couple of days my peers began to do this without anyone prompting them. 

I learned that leadership is about identifying an issue, and not only that but thinking of solutions and then acting upon them. It only takes one person to step up and speak out, or act for others to be inspired to follow. Just know that I will never be the same after this trip. I am a better person, a more mature person, but most importantly a better leader! 

Before I left for Ghana I had to fill out a cultural self-awareness assessment to get a feel for how comfortable I feel in relation to interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. After having been in Ghana for three weeks and adding this experience to my other abroad experiences, I can now say that I am more confident in my ability to interact with people of different cultures. 

A leader is one who knows how to cope with various situations, seek advice before making a decision and knows how to interact with people who have different traditions, beliefs, values, etc then their own. However, a leader also understands that many times some of these things will overlap. Finding common group and a sense of understanding is key. 

While in Ghana, I found it no problem to be in the midst of a group of Ghanaians who were speaking in their native language. Though most of the time I did not understand everything they were saying, I studied their facial expressions, the laughter patterns and who they were directing their comments to and this helped me to understand better. When people see that you take an interest in them, they will take an interest in you also and share with you. 

This trip overall has made me much more confident that I can go almost anywhere I've never been before and with time get accustomed to the culture, people, traditions and food, while still managing to be myself and share my background with others. 

My experience in receiving feedback in Ghana went extremely well for me, I felt. I am always open to constructive criticism. Though it may hurt upon first hearing it, I know that if someone is that honest with you they love you and want to see you improve. 

The people in Ghana do not hesitate to offer their feedback and thoughts. Really, you don't even have to ask for it as they are taught to be honest and speak their minds. Sometimes Ghanaians would tell me I need to lose weight and slim down, which I did end up doing after eating their food and all of the intense dancing. However, on a leadership tip, they were truly blown away by me and I was surprised. They received me very well since day 1. They always complimented me saying things lie, "Oh, you speak so well," "You have a strong presence on stage, and "You have taught me a lot." 

Also, several times on the trip my professor would call me to speak on his and our behalf. I spoke on behalf of our group as we presented laptops to a grade school in Accra, I spoke on behalf of our professor at his high school's alumni reunion and a few other times. This trip has really helped me to see that I have a talent for public and motivational speaking, even in another country. People listen to me and then afterwards tell me that they learned from me...even grown people will tell me this. Now I know that I must continue to hone in on this talent so I can share the things I've learned with others.

This photo is of the Elon University Performing Arts group donating 15 laptops to a grade school in Accra, Ghana. I am depicted in the orange shirt. I was delegated by my professor to speak on behalf of the group and officially present the first laptop to the school principal. Yes, I was a little nervous but it was all for a wonderful cause. I was also the one who conducted research to find a place that would donate 15 working laptops to us that we could take with us to Ghana. 

This is a photo of our professor, Jason Aryeh, speaking to a large group after a long day's worth of intense dance practice. He is speaking to his Elon University group of students as well as his dance company comprised of drummers and dancers. We were a very large group and it was amazing to see our professor come back to his native country and bridge the gap between an American group of students and a Ghanaian group of adults. I might also mention that my professor is wearing a ScholarCHIPS t-shirt (ScholarCHIPS is a non-profit I began in 2010 to provide scholarships and mentoring to children with incarcerated parents). There was much leadership to be seen and to hold while we were in Ghana. 

Understanding and respecting diversity is important in your own country and abroad. The reason I include the element of "Respecting," is, just because you "understand" a culture does not mean that you are showing respect for it, which you should. What do I mean? For example, making inappropriate comments or jokes about a culture's religious beliefs or style of dress is not respectful and can cause hurt feelings. 

This will not be my first time immersing myself into a different culture in a different place, far away from the United States. Honestly, stepping out of my comfort zone in this sense is one of my most favorite things to do! I have traveled to both Zambia and Costa Rica. In Zambia I was on an 18-day community service venture and in Costa Rica I went to school enhance my Spanish-speaking skills and I lived with a host family for six weeks. These were both the most eye-opening experiences of my life and I wouldn't change them for the world! 

I am naturally an inquisitive person. I love to ask questions about a person's live, their perspectives, and their personal experiences. It's even more rewarding when you can get a taste of a different culture first-hand. because once you do you will never be the same! 

Resilience is your ability to adapt well in the face of adversity while learning from self-evaluation. This is an important characteristic to possess as a leader. At Elon I am a participant in the LEAD program. A program that helps young, developing leaders identify their strengths, define their identity (chosen and unchosen) and how to best utilize their strengths as leaders in the real world! 

As the founder of a non-profit and being involved in numerous extra-curricular activities, I have to have resilience. Sometimes coming in contact with many different people means conflict will arise and you have to know how to deal with it without causing harm to yourself or others. 

In Costa Rica, though I was proficient in the language, there were many Tico terms and phrases that I was unfamiliar with. I was also in the country, the same time that Michael Jackson died. My host family spoke about it for a couple of mornings at the breakfast table and as much as I wanted to partake in the conversation, I could not. 

Once, walking to school with one of my American friends, a group of male Ticos drove by and shouted Michael Jackson's famous call "Hhheee-hheee!" and sped off laughing. This hurt us both, and I was shocked and sad that they would do that. This was a moment, I had to have resilience. Apparently, some thought it would be funny to make fun of Americans in their country who's legendary singer had just passed away tragically. I would not want to make any visitors in my country feel the way I felt in that moment...this is why understanding and respecting diversity is so important. 

Language barriers are inevitably restrictive to effective communication. There were some times I cried because I could not express properly exactly what I wanted to. I also missed my family. To cope, I would pull out my dual language (Spanish-English) dictionary and sometimes write out information or show pictures to help me express myself. My family was very patient with me and this led to a more enjoyable experience.  

In Zambia, there was not a language barrier because most Zambians spoke English, but I had to be aware of cultural differences and respect them. In Ghana, I know that most will also speak English, but I will have to be very observant, identify their cultural traditions and respect them as well. For example, my Ghanaian professor told us that when speaking to elders (that is, anyone who is older than you, even if just by one year or a few months) it is respectful to put your hands behind your back when speaking to them. 

Because I have not ye begun my journey in Ghana, I cannot say all that I will have to create a resilience to, but I will remain genuine, kind, respectful and open-minded. I expect to have an amazing experience dancing with the people, sharing with the youth and donating lots of needed school supplies and clothing!