The United States is changing due, in great part, to the demographic changes that have been taking place, including a significant increase in net immigration. Leaders today are very likely engaging with workers who have different backgrounds, beliefs, languages, religions, and value orientations. By the end of this presentation, attendees will:

• Understand the importance of cultural competence and the steps they need to take to develop their cultural competence skills.

• Recognize the phases individuals go through when faced with differences.

• Learn the top characteristics of a truly inclusive leader.

• Share the steps they will take to ensure they will bring inclusion into their organization.

• Share what they learned in the session and how they will apply this learning to their work.

While a culturally diverse workforce can bring many benefits to the company, it will also pose some challenges. In fact, leaders today are experiencing increased levels of discomfort because of their inability to deal with this increased diversity in the workplace. Cultural diversity is here to stay and your success as a leader will increasingly depend on your ability to work effectively with culturally diverse employees. In other words, you need to strive to become a culturally competent leader.