Helping businesses attract and retain diverse talent
Helping businesses attract and retain diverse talent
In health and pharma, science often takes centre stage. Molecules, data, regulatory frameworks, and pipelines dominate boardroom conversations. But behind every breakthrough is something less visible yet equally critical: people. And when people come together across borders, cultures, and contexts, there is one business resource that too often remains undervalued—cultural intelligence.
The lioness teaches us something profound. She hunts across different terrains, from open savannahs to dense bush, adjusting her strategy each time. But her purpose—providing for and protecting the pride—remains constant.
Leaders in pharma face similar terrain shifts. A trial in Nairobi will not be run in the same way as one in Boston. A regulatory submission in Brussels requires a different rhythm than one in Tokyo. Yet the purpose—patient safety, equitable access, and discovery—remains the same.
Cultural intelligence is not about becoming a chameleon. It is about recognising the terrain, respecting its rhythms, and adapting while staying anchored in integrity.
Too often, cultural difference is treated as a problem to solve or a compliance issue to manage. But what I have learned over decades of leadership is that when leaders view cultural intelligence as a strategic asset, the results are transformative. Through my career and business, cultural intelligence has informed and enhanced my leadership:
– In clinical research, representation across geographies ensures that medicines work for diverse populations. Excluding groups is not just unethical—it produces weaker science.
– In global collaborations, understanding cultural nuances reduces friction and accelerates decision-making.
– In workforce development,leaders who respect local norms while embedding shared values create teams that are both globally aligned and locally empowered.
Put simply: cultural intelligence strengthens both the science and the business.
We can already see leaders and organisations in health and pharma beginning to treat cultural intelligence as core business strategy:
– Takedaembeds its values—Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, Perseverance—into leadership frameworks across 80+ countries. This provides a shared compass while allowing local teams the freedom to adapt. As one Takeda leader explained: “I trust them, and they deliver.” That trust empowers teams across geographies to innovate within their context, not in spite of it.
– Novartishas invested heavily in building “unbossed cultures,” where leaders are trained to listen, empower, and adapt styles across geographies. By removing hierarchical barriers, they create space for diverse voices to influence global strategy.
– Pfizerused digital platforms to roll out training across Asia-Pacific, from Pakistan to the Philippines. By acknowledging local differences while ensuring everyone shared the same global vision, they created trust that stretched far beyond time zones.
These examples show cultural intelligence is not about “soft skills”—it’s about strategic survival. In speaking with leaders during my coaching, training and consultancy sessions I have learned that these ‘soft skills’ are increasingly becoming the ‘hard lessons’ to learn.
So how do leaders build cultural intelligence into their daily practice? A few starting points:
1. Listen with intent.In global meetings, don’t just listen for agreement. Listen for nuance, silence, hesitation. These carry meaning.
2. Name what you see. If some voices are dominating, acknowledge it. Invite others in. Equity must be intentional.
3. Balance global consistency with local flexibility.Define non-negotiable values (integrity, safety, equity), but let teams adapt delivery to their cultural terrain.
4. Reward curiosity. Celebrate leaders who ask questions about how things are done elsewhere, rather than assuming “our way” is best.
5. Check impact, not just understanding. Asking “How does this land with you?” opens richer conversation than “Do you understand?”
We are in a global era – where supply chains span continents, clinical trials involve thousands across borders, and patients demand equitable access worldwide, cultural intelligence is not optional—it is essential.
It builds trust where distance creates doubt. It fuels innovation where sameness breeds stagnation. It turns diversity from a challenge into a competitive edge.
And above all, it ensures that science serves all people, not just a privileged few.
Here’s a Question for You
In your organisation, is cultural intelligence seen as compliance—or as a catalyst for innovation and impact? And what would shift if we treated it as a business-critical resource rather than a soft skill?
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