Cultural reasons for the prevalence of Indian CEOs in America

It is often said that 'Wall Street is led by Jews, while Silicon Valley is led by Indians.'

What are Indian's strengths? Many Indians who grew up in India and later immigrated to the United States have achieved great success and recognition as CEOs.

I want to say that K-pop is the trend in the global pop music now, Indian-American CEOs have also become a trend in the corporate world.

Personally as a Korean, I have analyzed the advantages that Indian-Americans possess based on my experience working with them and from a cultural perspective.?

Based on my experiences with Indians in professional fields, their primary and most notable ability is their communication skills.

My initial impression of Indians is that they are talkative. The pronunciation of English by Indians is quite different from what we have learned in Korean. Frankly speaking, even as an interpreter in Korea we often ask each other, "Do you understand Indian English?". When encountering Indian English for the first time, we may have to listen for a while before realizing, "Ah, this is English," while Indian person has already engaged in a substantial amount of conversation.

As non-Native English speaker, What I feel one characteristic of Indian English is the absence of pauses. It feels like English sentences flow without any breaks, making them pass by quickly. Indians are always ready with plenty of questions and provide extensive explanations.?

I work as a Korean regional consultant for a German company, conducting customer experience surveys. During interviews with Korean clients, I often find it challenging to endure the awkward silence. I try my best to tolerate the silence for as long as possible, but often end up asking additional questions or filling up the silence with my own speaking.

On one occasion, I had a conversation with a consultant from New Zealand who handles Indian clients. He mentioned that when conducting interviews with Indians, there is a wealth of opinions and conversations, and scheduling appointments with customers is easily managed. He also mentioned that there are many instances where interviews exceed the scheduled duration due to extensive conversations.

I couldn't help but feel envious in that regard. Having more content in an interview means there is more to summarize and report. I always regret not being able to conduct interviews better, hoping that Korean clients would have felt more comfortable with me and freely shared their opinions.

While not everyone may exhibit the same behavior, but most of the Indians I have met and worked with enjoy talking. I cannot recall a single instance where I struggled to come up with a question because I was preoccupied with filling the discomfort of silence. Indians effortlessly ask questions, express their opinions, and genuinely enjoy communicating with others.

Asia is a high-context culture where conversations require understanding the context to grasp the meaning. For example, in Korea, when asking a superior if they would like to grab a beer together, one must intuitively understand whether the refusal is a genuine rejection or a polite decline.

In high-context cultures like Korea, various contextual factors such as facial expressions, nuances, family events, and the previous day's situation play a significant role in interpreting the sincerity behind a refusal.

One prominent characteristic of these cultures is the tendency to avoid or indirectly express negative feelings. For instance, when it is challenging to say "No," individuals may choose not to respond or offer an awkward smile instead.

Just like Korea, India also belongs to a high-context culture,where people express themselves in a way that minimizes negative emotions even in unfavorable situations.

In Korea, many individuals strive to learn English language from native speakers in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

However, I would recommend learning English communication skills from Singaporeans, Filipinos, and Indians, who have a high-context communication culture.

During a workshop I attended, which included trainers from various countries, I had a case where I needed to provide negative feedback. While I was contemplating how to deliver the feedback without hurting anyone's feelings, my Filipino friend impressed me by precisely expressing what I wanted to say in a manner that did not make anyone feel bad. In a high-context culture, effectively explaining the meaning of "No" without causing offense is crucial.

?Singaporeans are known for excelling in their written communication, including emails and documents as their official written language is English. Even in the content of their emails, they have a polite and less offensive way of rejecting or delivering negative information. In Asian English, which encompasses cultures like Singapore, the expression of "No" and "Yes" is often conveyed in a kinder manner compared to the direct approach commonly used in the United States.

Someone has grown up in a high-context culture like India, I can imagine that an English-speaking Indian would take the time to politely and considerately explain the reasons behind a "No" in a low-context communication situation, such as in the United States. In the workplace, if I had Indian colleagues with this communication style, any case that I didn't fully understand something in a meeting, then I would ask to Indian colleague later. They would willingly provide further explanations.

Even in situations where someone openly expresses negativity towards my opinion using a low-context communication style, an Indian would first acknowledge the positive aspects and then thoroughly explain the reasons behind the "No." This approach allows for a step-by-step process of growth and support from colleagues, which ultimately helps these Indians shine as leaders due to their exceptional communication skills.

Communication skills, which are critical for effective leadership, are indeed a foundational strength ingrained in the Indian culture.

Indians have a natural inclination towards effective communication, and it is deeply embedded in their upbringing and social interactions.