Leadership magazine Sept/Oct 2015 V45 No 1 | Page 8

Building
Capacity:
CULTURALLY
PROFICIENT
LEADERS

Culturally proficient
leaders are aware of
all students’ unique
attributes, and respond
in ways that empower
students to grow
socially, emotionally
and intellectually.

8

Leadership

C

ulturally proficient leaders are
vital to the work of addressing our diverse population of
students in California. Our
students represent an array of diverse backgrounds that go far deeper than just race
and ethnicity, which we typically identify
from their physical appearance. Their cultural beliefs are what shape their thinking,
learning, values and behavior.
Our students come to us with attributes
that often differ from our own. Their ethnic culture goes to the core of their being,
which requires leaders to understand the
complex and unique make-up of our students. Being culturally proficient enables
leaders to be aware of students’ different attributes and respond to them in ways that
empower students to grow socially, emotionally and intellectually.
Culturally proficient leaders must start
with their own belief systems, ref lecting
on their own biases that create barriers to
personal, professional and organizational
change. Culturally proficient leaders have a

deep belief system and understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds that enable them
to be proactive and responsive to the needs
of those they serve. This is evident in skills
and values that lead to the capacity building and empowerment of students, teachers,
staff, parents and school communities that
allow them to relate to the educational system from their own cultural context.
Being culturally proficient is a lifelong
journey, where one is evolving as the world
constantly brings new aspects of culture,
based on the innumerable differences that
society has suppressed from the onset of humanity.
It is important that we acknowledge the
fact that oppression has impacted every
one of us in some way. However, there are
groups of people who have been oppressed
to the point of never realizing the ability to
meet their potential, nor the power to ultimately change their lives.
By Nicole Anderson and Derrick L. Anderson