Cultural Intelligence For Harnessing Diversity

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Ritika Wadhwa, founder and CEO of Prabhaav Global, for a wide-ranging discussion on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and why it has become a practical capability for modern leadership.

Ritika breaks CQ down into four capabilities—drive, knowledge, strategy, and action—and explains how the framework moves organisations beyond awareness into accountable behaviour change. Together they explore common inclusion barriers in workplaces, including fear of getting it wrong, passive leadership habits, and the way “one-size-fits-all” expectations can lead to stereotyping rather than better collaboration.

The conversation also draws on Ritika’s lived experience as an immigrant from India, reflecting on the impact of systems, power distance, and post-colonial narratives on how people are treated and how they learn to “fit in”. They discuss what culturally intelligent leadership looks like in practice: being deliberate about communication, understanding different norms around hierarchy and feedback, and adapting without asking others to assimilate.

Listeners leave with clearer language for understanding cultural differences at work, plus practical prompts for developing CQ—starting with clarifying your “why”, expanding your knowledge sources, and using self-reflection to turn intentions into inclusive impact.