159. Colliding CQs

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Episode Description:

In the third episode of the Cultural Intelligence series, Julia explores what happens when different cultures come together. She dives into the tensions, misunderstandings, and moments of growth that emerge when people with different cultures interact and how that shapes their leading.
“Sometimes, when cultures collide, we feel it as a clash, but what if we saw it as an opportunity instead?” says Julia.

Through real-life stories and thought-provoking insights, she unpacks why these clashes occur, how to navigate them with curiosity rather than frustration, and what leaders can do to turn cultural differences into strengths rather than obstacles.

Listen to this episode to discover how embracing cultural collisions can deepen your understanding, strengthen your leading, and help you build more cohesive, high-performing teams.

About the Host

Julia Middleton

Julia Middleton is the host of the Women Emerging podcast and a best-selling author of “If that’s leading, I’m in” as well as two previous books: “Leading beyond Authority” and “Cultural Intelligence”. She is deeply committed to helping people from all backgrounds to find their own approach to leading.

In 2020, Julia launched Women Emerging and in 2022 she lead an expedition of 24 women to find ‘an approach to leading that resonates with women’. She now leads expeditions with women all over the world based on 4Es methodology, discovered in the first expedition.

Prior to that, Julia was founder and, for over thirty years, Chief Executive of Common Purpose, which grew to become one of the biggest leadership development organisations in the world.
Julia is also an Ambassador for the Aurora Prize based in Armenia, on the boards of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in the Arab World and Equality Now, which operates globally, and on the Advisory Councils of Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazil and Synapse in Pakistan.

Born in London and brought up in New York, Julia was educated at French Lycées and graduated from the London School of Economics. She is married, with five children and lots of grandchildren.