12/01/2025

Leading with Cultural Intelligence: Preparing Counselor Educators and Students for a Globalized World

By Tiffany Spatz

Leadership and Connection

As higher education and the workforce become increasingly globalized, counselor educators must model and cultivate leadership that is both culturally responsive and globally competent. Integrating Cultural Intelligence (CQ) into counselor education strengthens leadership development and enhances students’ capacity to support diverse clients navigating multicultural career landscapes. Cultural intelligence, defined as the capability to relate and work effectively across cultures, provides a measurable framework for developing inclusive leadership and bridging theory with applied practice in career development (Buyruk, 2022).

For counselor educators, leadership must begin with self-awareness. Too often, unspoken thoughts of “what ifs,” “I can’t,” or “I don’t understand that background” are artificial walls that turn into beliefs, creating emotional barriers between educators and students. These walls are often sensed by the student long before a word is spoken. When counselor educators initially fail to fully engage in the classroom, the connection is lost between the student because psychological safety was not established; difficult dialogues are avoided which sets up the tone for an environment that does not induce inclusion. Awareness of one’s own race and culture is the essential first step in developing multicultural competence. When this step is skipped, it becomes much harder to appreciate and respect the cultures of others (Evans & Sejuit, 2021). Leadership demands self- knowledge, emotional presence and a willingness to engage across differences.

Cultural intelligence offers a framework for addressing this challenge by guiding educators to assess and develop their awareness, motivation, and behaviors in intercultural interactions (Earley & Ang, 2003; Serra et al., 2022). Through reflection and applied practice, educators can identify their biases, cultivate empathy, and intentionally model curiosity over judgment. Examining minority underrepresentation in academia, barriers to inclusion often stem from institutional cultures that unintentionally reinforce separation through unexamined norms and comfort zones (St. Julien et al., 2014). CQ challenges these norms by encouraging educators to build bridges instead of barriers.

The Heart of Leadership

True educational leadership goes beyond us as counselor educators; it places students first. When instructors do not understand a student’s background or worldview, leadership requires humility: the willingness to ask, listen, and learn. Instead of shying away from discomfort, culturally intelligent leaders lean into it. They seek to understand before being understood and prioritizing relationship-building over authority. This posture not only strengthens student trust but models the relational competencies that are foundational in effective counseling practice (Garavan et al., 2015).

Programs that prioritize academic freedom and innovation enable faculty to implement active learning strategies that enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and knowledge construction (Menon, 2022). Faculty development programs that emphasize student-centered teaching and experiential learning improve engagement and learning outcomes. Hands-on application of coursework fosters the development of clinical skills, professional intuition, and meaningful knowledge of construction. Incorporating multimedia tools and understanding both faculty and student roles in learning environments further reduces psychological isolation and increases satisfaction (Abdulrahman et al., 2020; Le Cunff et al., 2024).

Integrating CQ into Counselor Education

Embedding CQ principles into counselor education goes beyond classroom lectures; it transforms the entire learning environment. Through curriculum design, supervision practices, and experiential opportunities, educators can help students strengthen their own cultural adaptability. Assignments that encourage cross-cultural reflection, case studies that address global counseling issues, and supervision dialogues that explore power, privilege, and identity all reinforce cultural intelligence as a professional competency (Le Cunff et al., 2024).

Furthermore, integrating CQ into program evaluation ensures that growth is measurable and intentional. Using reflective journals, self-assessment tools, and outcome-based evaluations, counselor educators can track how students’ CQ levels evolve over time. This process not only informs program improvement but reinforces accountability for inclusive education.

Foundation for Connection

At its core, counseling is a profession built on connection, trust, and the ability to join clients across different fields. Cultural Intelligence strengthens these relational foundations by equipping counselor educators and students with the proper skills to navigate and adapt to culturally diverse interactions. Research shows that individuals with higher CQ have stronger interpersonal relationships, greater empathy, and more effective communication with clients which are key components of the therapeutic alliance (Haspari, 2022).

CQ enhances relational connection by helping individuals remain present and regulated in a potential unknown situation where cultural differences emerge. Rather than withdrawing from discomfort or relying on assumptions, cultural intelligent practitioners approach differences with a genuine desire to understand. This creates an openness that is respectful, reduces threats, and increases psychological safety. When students experience this support from their educators, they learn that connection is not the absence of difference but the ability to fully be present and engaged (Haspari, 2022 & Hays, 2021).

By grounding the learning environment in cultural intelligence, counselor educators cultivate classrooms where trust grows, voices are honored, and meaningful relationships can flourish. In this sense, CQ is not only a leadership competency but a relational bridge that makes transformative learning possible.

Global Readiness and the Future of the Profession

In today’s globalized society, counselor education must prepare graduates who can lead with both competence and compassion. Students entering the profession will serve clients whose experiences cross borders, languages, and identities. They will need more than multicultural knowledge. The need is the mindset and skill set to build trust across differences. Cultural intelligence provides a pathway for developing this capability, bridging the gap between awareness and application.

Leading Beyond Borders

Cultural intelligence in counselor education is more than a framework; it is a mindset that calls us to lead with humility, empathy, and courage. When counselor educators model openness instead of defensiveness, curiosity instead of fear, they teach students that leadership begins with human connection. True leaders do not stand apart from difference but lean into it, asking questions and listening deeply. As higher education continues to evolve within a global context, integrating CQ into teaching and leadership ensures that our classrooms and ultimately our counseling relationships become spaces where every culture and story is not only understood but valued.

References

Abdulrahaman, M. D., Faruk, N., Oloyede, A. A., Surajudeen-Bakinde, N. T., Olawoyin, L. A., Mejabi, O. V., Iman-Fulani, Y. O., Fahm, A. O., & Azeez, A. L. (2020). Multimedia tools in the teaching and learning processes: A systematic review. Heliyon, 6(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05312 

Buyruk Genç A., & Yüksel Şahi̇n F. (2022).  The mediating role of cultural intelligence and cognitive flexibility in the relation between effective counsellor characteristics and multicultural counselling competencies. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 51, 675-689.

Earley, P. C., & Ang, S. H. (2003). Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. Standford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780804766005 

Evans, K. M. & Sejuit, A. L. (2021). Gaining cultural competence in career counseling (2nd ed.). National Career Development Association.

Fenda Hapsari, S. S., Mappiare, A., Muslihati, M., & Atmoko, A. (2022). Level of cultural intelligence for counselor candidates and its implications for education.  Journal of Education and Instruction, 12(2), 71-76.  https://doi.org/10.47750/pegegog.12.02.06 

Garavan, T., O’Brien, F., & Watson, S. (2015). Leadership development and organizational success. In K. Kraiger, J. Passmore, N. R. dos Santos, & S. Malvezzi (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Training, Development, and Performance (pp. 354-397). John Wiley & Sons.

Hays, D. G., Crockett, S. A. and Michel, R. (2021). A grounded theory of counselor educators’ academic leadership development. Counselor Education and Supervision, 60, 51- 72.

Le Cunff, A. L., Giampietro, V., & Dommett, E. (2024). Neurodiversity and cognitive load in online learning: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Educational Research Review, 100604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100604

Menon, S., Suresh, M., & Raghu Raman, R. (2021). Enablers facilitating industry-academia, transnational education and university-community partnering agility in higher education. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 12(3), 604-626. https://doi.org/10.1108/heswbl-04-2021-0067 

Serra, B., Tomei, P. A., Ribeiro Serra, F. A., & Camargo Guerrazzi, L. A. de. (2022). What has been studied in cultural intelligence? Intellectual structure and current research. Management Research 20(3), 266-286. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRJIAM-09-2021-1228

St Julien, J., Lang, R., Brown, T. N., Aldrich, M. C., Deppen, S. A., Wu, H., Feurer, I. D., Tarpley, M., Hill, G., Tarplay, J., Beauchamp, R. D., Grogan, E. L. (2014). Minority underrepresentation in academia: Factors impacting careers of surgery residents. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1(4), 238-246. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/s40615-014-0030-6  

Tiffany Spatz is a PhD student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Liberty University. She is the Founder of Empowered Marriage and Family, where she serves as a principal consultant and family advisor supporting individuals, couples, and families through relational challenges and personal growth. Her research interests include leadership development within counselor education, the emotional and developmental challenges faced by counseling students, multicultural and culturally responsive leadership, and the role of mentoring in professional identity formation. Passionate about integrating culture, leadership, and holistic wellness, Tiffany’s work focuses on preparing future counselors to engage ethically and effectively. She can be reached at tdspatz@liberty.edu