During the 2005 London bombings we heard about British nationals, children of immigrants who had not fully integrated into their new homes and felt marginalized. These homegrown terrorists killed 56 people. More recently and across the pond in Times Square, we heard about an attempted bombing by another "encapsulated marginal," this time a naturalized citizen of the USA.

From the 26/11 Mumbai attacks' David Coleman Headley, to the "bin Laden of the internet," imam Anwar al-Awlaki, to Somali boys living overseas being recruited and repatriated to conduct terrorist activities at home, the world is experiencing the negative effects that can be brought about by the emotional and psychological split of Blended Culture experience. According to Cultural Detective Blended Culture co-author Heather Robinson, "These young men are experiencing massive pain and passing it on because they are trying to choose one or the other cultures that are salient in their lives and no one is offering them an option that provides them the 'cultural breathing room' to be all that they are -- with dire consequences to the world."

Contrast that with Blended Culture leaders such as Barack Obama; Carlos Ghosn, the French-Lebanese-Brazilian CEO and President of both Renault and Nissan; Egyptian-born international diplomat and world citizen, Mohammed ElBaradei; or Indian-born Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsico. The New York Times recently called people like these hybrid leaders, saying, "They don't fit the traditional templates of leader as general or coach, tycoon or populist. They belong to multiple worlds and carry those worlds with them; they are defined by ambivalence and complexity; they are leading the world in important new ways."

Article author Anand Giridharadas sketches the defining habits such Blended Culture leaders possess, saying they: listen zealously, seek the universal, style switch, are radically pragmatic, know their truths, and think "both/and." Obviously these are interculturally competent traits, the sort of skills and mindsets the Cultural Detective Blended Culture teaches.

Blended Culture experience is a fact of life, whether that blended experience involves geographic mobility, religious, ethnic or racial diversity, even generational differences. How do we channel the Blended Culture experience into constructive "hybrid leader" formation, and away from the encapsulated, terrorist-forming variety? That is where Cultural Detective Blended Culture can be an invaluable tool. Use it to develop hybrid leaders themselves, at the baccalaureate or MBA levels, or mid-career. Use it to educate teachers and counselors in primary and secondary schools, as well as police officers and social service personnel, so they can better interact with and channel Blended Culture experience. Perhaps Interpol, the CIA, large multinationals and others will see wisdom in funding such training!

Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam, the land of paradox!

Vietnam has a long history scarred with both battles against foreign invaders and welcoming foreigners as friends, not foes. It is a country in which socialist ideals co-exist with a capitalist economy; a place in which the young and old are living lives apart; and a home in which its proud people, while still adhering to their ancient ways of thinking, eagerly absorb new ideas from the West on a daily basis.
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