In Driven by Difference: How Great Companies Fuel Innovation Through Diversity, David Livermore addresses two separate but interdependent questions:

How can you utilize perspectives to come up with better solutions?

And what part of the innovation process needs to be adjusted to leverage diversity for better innovation?

“Diversity by itself does not en sure innovation. Diversity combined with high cultural intelligence (CQ) is the capability to function effectively in culturally diverse situations.” These are the capabilities of cultural intelligence that Livermore identifies:

o CQ Drive: Your interest, drive, and confidence to adapt to multicultural situations
o CQ Knowledge: “Your understanding about how cultures are similar and different”
o CQ Strategy: “Your awareness and ability to plan for multicultural situations”
o CQ Action: “Your ability to adapt appropriately when working and relating interculturally”

“All CQ four capabilities (Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action) are a part of culturally intelligent innovation, but the one that is most essential for creating climate for culturally intelligent innovation is CQ Strategy — the degree to which you consciously address and use cultural differences to come up with better solutions.”

To learn more about David and his work, please click here.