The Shift

In this solo episode, Trisha unpacks a concept that often masquerades as unity but can quietly erase the experiences of those it claims to include. What happens when "treating everyone the same" actually means treating everyone as if they share your starting point? How do well-intentioned statements like "I just see you as a person" land on someone whose difference has shaped their entire life?Drawing on insights from her conversation with Chika Miyamori about the Intercultural Development Continuum, Trisha explores the minimization stage, where we focus on what we share while downplaying the significance of difference...

In this solo episode, Trisha explores what happens when astronauts return from space transformed by what they've seen — and whether Cultural Intelligence (CQ) might help us experience something similar without leaving Earth.What can the Artemis II crew's awe and perspective shifts teach us about seeing ourselves as one crew on a fragile lifeboat? How does the overview effect connect to figure-ground shifts in cultural intelligence work? And if we're wired to see each other as "us" and "them," can CQ help us cultivate a different way of seeing — one where our shared humanity becomes the figure agai...

In this episode, Trisha interviews Dr. David Livermore, researcher, author, and one of the world's leading voices on Cultural Intelligence (CQ), in Part 2 of their conversation on the Prism framework for global leadership.What does it actually take for a leader to see their own archetype clearly — and what gets in the way? This conversation explores how Prism and CQ work together, challenges the assumption that great leadership means doubling down on your strengths, and asks what becomes possible when leaders are willing to try on something unfamiliar — even just 10%.Learn more about David Livermore's work...

In this episode, Trisha interviews Dr. David Livermore, renowned social scientist, professor at Boston University, founder of the Cultural Intelligence Center, and author of the bestselling Leading with Cultural Intelligence, now in its third edition.After more than two decades of CQ research, what happens when the framework itself needs to grow and shift? Dr. Livermore shares the research journey behind Prism — a new leadership framework built on over 3,700 interviews across 27 countries — and explores why the pain points keeping global leaders awake at night demanded something genuinely new.Learn more about David Livermore's work at davi...

In this episode, Trisha interviews Chika Miyamori, Chief Culture Officer at Ideal Leaders and founder of CQ Lab in Japan, whose lifelong mission is building bridges across differences and turning them into power.What happens when a strong organisational culture becomes its own blind spot? Chika draws on her corporate career spanning Suntory, HP, and GE across more than 50 nationalities, weaving together CQ, the Hofstede cultural dimensions, and the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) into a powerful integrated approach — and explores what it truly takes for organisations to move from merely managing differences to thriving with them....

In this solo episode, Trisha unpacks what happens in the split second after a racist joke lands — and what Cultural Intelligence (CQ) has to do with it.What does it mean when your gut reacts before your thinking can catch up? How do biased jokes connect to something far more serious — and what does it take to decide, in real time, who you want to be? This episode explores the ADL Pyramid of Hate and where so-called "harmless" humour sits within it, alongside the very human challenge of maintaining CQ Drive when the world is contracting with fear...

In this episode, Trisha is joined by returning guest Ned Legaspi, CQ Fellow, cultural intelligence consultant, and author of Culturally Intelligent Storytelling for Southeast Asian Creators, for the third instalment of CQ at the Movies. Together they turn Ned's Bamboo Framework on the Australian film The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson — a powerful retelling of a colonial-era story rewritten and directed by Indigenous Australian Leah Purcell. What does a story rooted in settler-colonial history reveal when seen through a CQ lens? How does a film's meaning shift when it travels beyond its cultural origin? And what can st...

In this special episode, Trisha and returning guest Ned Legaspi — cultural intelligence consultant, CQ Fellow, and author of Culturally Intelligent Storytelling for Southeast Asian Creators — put the Bamboo Framework to work by analyzing a film together. The movie? The Thai sensation How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.What makes a story travel across borders without losing its cultural soul? Why did a quietly paced, deeply collectivist Thai film move audiences to tears from the Philippines to Indonesia — while barely registering in the US? Trisha and Ned unpack the cultural dimensions woven through the film — from collectivism and powe...

In this solo episode, Trisha unpacks a powerful question: What if the most important cultural intelligence work isn't happening in training rooms at all?Drawing on Malcolm Gladwell's concept of the "overstory"—the shared narratives hovering above us that shape what we consider normal—Trisha explores how stories themselves shift these invisible cultural frameworks. From a 1978 TV drama that gave America permission to talk about the Holocaust, to Bad Bunny's history-making Super Bowl performance that had 135 million people experiencing Puerto Rican culture through their bodies, this episode examines the ecosystem of cultural change.How do stor...

In this episode, Trisha interviews Ned Legaspi, a CQ Fellow and cultural intelligence consultant who spent three decades pioneering diaspora storytelling with ABS-CBN Global, the Philippines' leading media conglomerate.Why do some stories resonate across continents while others remain culturally bound? What if the key to global storytelling isn't neutralizing culture, but deepening it? Ned introduces the CIS Bamboo Framework—a groundbreaking approach that asks not "what happens next?" but "what matters here?" Drawing from films like Parasite and How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, he reveals how stories rooted in specific cultural logic can bend wi...

intelligence combined with kindness and connection. What happens when we face global tensions, political uncertainties, and fractured communities? How can we move beyond understanding to action that truly builds bridges?Discover why cultural intelligence alone isn't enough and how adding kindness and meaningful connections transforms the way we navigate differences. Trisha previews conversations ahead with practitioners working in cross-cultural storytelling, music, Japanese multinationals, and social cohesion, while responding to recent events that have tested our collective compassion.The episode closes with a concrete CQ action: participating in the National Day of Mourning for Bondi through...

Content note: This episode addresses recent acts of terror and may be difficult for some listeners.In this solo episode, Trisha responds to the recent Bondi Beach shooting with a gentle but powerful reminder: cultural intelligence isn't just for crossing borders—it can be lifesaving in times of crisis.What happens when fear spikes and communities fracture? How do we stay motivated to understand rather than retreat into tribalism? Trisha explores how CQ's four capabilities—Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action—offer a framework for navigating tragedy, trauma, and rising tensions. She honours the diverse heroes who ra...

In this episode, Trisha interviews returning guest Lucy Butters, a master facilitator in cultural intelligence with the Cultural Intelligence Centre and author of the new book "Cultural Intelligence in Practice: Expert Insights for Trainers in a Multicultural Globalised World."What happens when a CQ trainer discovers that the most challenging cultural contexts aren't in distant lands, but close to home? How can holding discomfort with curiosity rather than rushing to judgment transform the way we navigate cultural differences? Lucy shares insights from interviewing 12 CQ experts across the globe, revealing how the writing process itself became a mirror—ex...

In this episode, Trisha interviews Emma Jordaan, founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, TEDx speaker, and author of Dubai Decode, who helps leaders navigate cultural dynamics in one of the world's most diverse workplaces—the UAE.What happens when your team knows you're making the wrong decision but stays silent because "you are the boss"? How do you bridge the gap between having cultural knowledge and actually applying it with intentionality? Emma unpacks her proprietary RAPID framework—a cultural intelligence strategy tool that helps professionals slow down their cross-cultural interactions before they react. Discover how recognising, assessing, paus...

In this episode, Trisha reviews five powerful transformation stories to uncover what practitioners can learn about creating conditions for genuine perspective shifts.What if we stopped trying to teach people into transformation and instead learned to cultivate the conditions where change becomes inevitable? Through stories of systemic awakening, identity work, and unexpected wisdom from a 10-year-old, this episode explores how dissonance, experience, and reflection intersect to create profound shifts—not just in thinking, but in being.For intercultural trainers, coaches, and CQ facilitators, the insights here challenge conventional approaches: brave spaces over safe spaces, productive di...

In this solo episode, Trisha examines a critical question that every global professional using AI should consider: Are artificial intelligence systems as globally representative as we assume? Drawing on groundbreaking 2010 research about WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic) populations in psychology, she explores whether today's AI models might face similar challenges.Through conversations with Claude from Anthropic and ChatGPT's Monday persona, Trisha uncovers surprising perspectives on data sources, training biases, and the cultural blind spots that might influence AI responses. These AI systems offer candid assessments of their own capabilities when it comes to representing diverse global...

In this episode, Trisha explores how teams can move beyond cultural stereotypes to build environments where everyone feels valued and understood. What happens when cultural training leaves participants feeling uncomfortable about their own backgrounds? How can we shift from oversimplified country-based assumptions to embracing the complexity that exists within every individual?Sparked by a story shared at the Employee Mobility Institute's recent summit, Trisha examines the critical difference between cultural competence—knowing about other cultures—and cultural intelligence—being able to function effectively together as unique teams. She challenges listeners to consider whether we're reinforcing divisions or co-cre...

In this episode, Trisha interviews Amel Derragui, a truly global citizen, business coach, and powerhouse behind The Time is Now and the Cosmopolitan Table. Born in India to Algerian parents and raised across Serbia, Algeria, and Uganda, Amel has built her career helping women create portable businesses while navigating cultures worldwide.What happens when a 14-year-old witnesses racial fights at an international school and decides to take action? How does a school canteen project teach us about breaking down barriers through shared experiences?Amel's journey from teenage entrepreneur to global community builder reveals the complex...

In this episode, Trisha revisits her conversation with Dr. Tanya Finnie, introducing it with context about Tanya's newly released book "From Shadows to Safari." What happens when someone grows up witnessing apartheid's segregation, yet is raised with values that challenge the system around them? How do early experiences of injustice shape a lifelong commitment to bringing people together across cultural divides?This revisited conversation explores the complex journey from South Africa to Australia, examining how childhood experiences of racism and cultural difference can become the foundation for transformative leadership in diversity and inclusion. In their original discussion...

In this solo episode, Trisha explores whether the same cultural intelligence capabilities that help us work across cultures might also be tools for building peace.Drawing from insights at the International Positive Psychology Association World Congress, Trisha examines Peter Singer's concept of expanding our "moral circle" and Barbara Fredrickson's research on positive emotions, sparked by reflections from David Livermore and Martin Seligman.Discover how CQ Strategy, Knowledge, Drive, and Action might offer pathways beyond tribalism, and learn practical approaches for designing learning experiences that broaden perspectives rather than reinforce divisions.Resources mentioned include...