Empowering Leadership: My Key Takeaways from Ascend Global Leaders' 2024 Convention

My first time participating in Ascend 's National Convention was such a phenomenal experience that I hope many of you will be inspired by and act on my key takeaways below — and even consider attending next year's #AscendConvention!

More than 2,000 Pan-Asian leaders from more than 250 companies invested three days last week discussing how the future of work will be fueled by sponsorship, allyship, mental health, and advocacy. While many participants were accountants or consultants, I had the privilege of representing #TeamPwC as the only person from our Learning & Development organization among our 普华永道 delegation of 175 partners and employees and lending a unique people-strategy lens to our conversations. I also felt lucky to be one of 90 leaders from more than 60 companies selected for this year’s Women of Ascend leadership-development cohort and finally get to spend quality time with many of them in person. I had arrived at this convention knowing only a few friends and acquaintances and left with many new friends and fond memories — an incredible testament to this diverse community walking the talk about creating inclusive environments and to PwC's stellar Purpose & Inclusion team and PACIN leadership team orchestrating so many meaningful moments!

Here are my top four key takeaways that anyone can apply, whether you identify as an Asian American or an ally and regardless of your job level:

1) Advocate for What You Need and Seek Support in Growing Your Network of Relationships

Empower yourself by clearly communicating your needs and advocating for the resources to achieve your goals. While cultural Asian norms have taught us to put our heads down and work hard in hopes of getting ahead in life, Dipti Gulati , CEO of 德勤 's US Audit and Assurance, advised us, "Don't be afraid to ask for help on your journey. There are people who want to help." That encouragement was a key message that I heard echoed in every candid conversation, and it was so invigorating hearing it from all of our PwC partners, who offered to introduce us to people whom we identify may be able to help us on our journeys.

This is crucial, as the June 2024 Harvard Business Review article "Stop Overlooking the Leadership Potential of Asian Employees" pointed out:

"Although Asians are the most educated segment of the American workforce, they are the least likely among all racial groups to ascend to leadership roles.... This squandering of talent not only curtails individual career trajectories, it also directly impacts corporate productivity. When a substantial portion of a company’s workforce is hindered from contributing fully, the entire organization suffers."

https://hbr.org/2024/06/stop-overlooking-the-leadership-potential-of-asian-employees

2) Embrace the Need for Allyship at All Levels

Who needs allyship?

Allyship is essential not only for junior team members but also for executives. Patrick Yu, CPA , a Principal at Baker Tilly US , said that even as one of 50 partners he needs allies to support and collaborate on his ideas.

While we typically think of allyship spanning racial lines, 德勤 partner Anna Mok pointed out that allyship is also supporting and celebrating people who look like us, rather than being envious of them.

How do you cultivate ally relationships?

While many of us organically build one-on-one trusted relationships that turn into allyships, Allison Lin 林宜蓁 , Global VP of Packaging Sustainability at 玛氏食品 , said corporate reverse-mentoring programs can foster allyship by encouraging senior leaders to learn from diverse junior employees.?

Gurpreet Singh , a 普华永道 partner and the first Sikh elected to the firm's board, highlighted the important role that corporate inclusion networks play in fostering a welcoming environment in which people who are different from you can learn about who you are. Over 40% of PwC's 75,000 people participate in one or more of our dozen inclusion networks, which not only raise awareness but also can create mentorship relationships.

You also can invite colleagues to social gatherings that celebrate your differences. Singh hosted a Bollywood meets Rock Band party for his son's coming-of-age ceremony in the Sikh tradition that celebrates the start of wearing a turban -- and he invited 150 of his kids' classmates, their parents, and his PwC colleagues to expose all of them to what's important to his family.

How can you show up as an effective ally?

Jerry Won , CEO and founder of Just Like Media , emphasized the importance of asking, "How can I be supportive?" in order to tailor your allyship to the individual. And Cassie Catania-Hsu , Managing Director and Market Leader at 世邦魏理仕 , advised asking your team for examples of when you have shown up as an ally for them -- as you may be surprised by what you consider to be smaller actions that were meaningful to them.

Jil Phinicharomna Lee said that on her journey to becoming a PwC partner, she realized an ally or sponsor doesn't need to share your cultural heritage but rather they need to listen to and understand you.

3) Address Mental Health Across Generations

In order for us to thrive, we need to prioritize mental health for ourself and our team.

Newton Cheng , director of health + performance at 谷歌 , highlighted how senior leaders talk about mental health in generalities, clinical terms, and research statistics -- yet the next generation of leaders wants them to talk about their current (not solved, past) personal struggles with mental health as that candor signals that all of us are in it together.?

Fred Tan , Tax principal at BDO , said work is important but it’s not life — and he wishes someone had told him that consistently throughout his career. As senior leaders, we need to educate ourselves on what’s important to each of our team members and respect their space when they need it.?

Instead of asking, "What’s wrong with you?" let's ask, "What matters to you?" This shift can lead to more meaningful conversations and supportive relationships.

Christine H Cadena , retired VP of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at 华特迪士尼公司 , said as leaders we need to ask ourselves: 1) What have I done to make sure I am caring for myself today? 2) What have I done to make myself, my immediate team, my larger team, and my workplace feel safe to have that conversation about taking care of themselves?

4) Elevate Others by Reframing Your Leadership Opportunities

Intentionally use your career opportunities to shine the spotlight on others.

Rishi Chugh , Tax Partner and Board Member at 毕马威 , inspired us all with his behind-the-scenes story of leveraging his leadership opportunity to elevate someone else. Upon receiving an invitation to deliver a 30-minute Ascend keynote speech, Chugh took the initiative to reimagine his opportunity into a fireside chat with KPMG senior manager Juhsien (Ruby) Chang interviewing him. He had never met her before they prepared for this on-stage chat, and in the midst of their live conversation he told all of us that he could sincerely say he was very proud of her.

We need to deliberately create visibility and recognition for others.

As Ascend's President, Co-founder, and Chairman of the Board Anna Mok said when kicking off this convention, "Leadership is not about who is on top, but who moves us forward."

I'm looking forward to continuing to learn alongside, support, and celebrate the many amazing people whom I met or reconnected with at the convention, including: Abhishek Gupta , Tiffany Chang Lawson , Amy She , Kelvin Wang , Christine del Rosario , Alan Nguyen , Jack Zheng, CPA , Lorraine Liu , Shixian Feng , Meng Chen , Anchal Sharma , Marilyn Adan , Stephanie Yokoyama , Anu Mandapati, PHR, PCC, CTPC , Aaron Fung , Doreen Dongli Liang, CPA , Jasmeen Bal , Melissa Lee, CISA , Roger Park , Vivek Mullick , Ruchika Agicha , Nina Un , Dori-Ann Vuong , Alex Pham , Rick Li , Gaming Li , Steven Mao , Abhishek Pasricha , Calvin Cheng , Cina C. , Khadija Tanweer, ACA, CPA , Katsuhiro Furuyama, SPHR , Jordan Brown Kang , Romin B. , Kavindra Wegodapola , Ploy Srisung , Mylynn Lam , Tsz Yan (Annika) C. , Mai Shintani , Christy Kim , Laura Flessner , Sadhna Krishna , Siddhant Jain Jaiswal , David Zhou , Pauline Lui , Sandra Fernandes , Candice W. , Jana Borer , Anushree Raj , Apoorva Arya , Arpit Jaiswal , Ria Jain !

Thank you Vik Oak Nisha Sheth, CFA Paula Jones Theus Andy Huang Charisma King Katie Duxbury Katie Patel Kristen Penkrot Lindsay Jack Stephanie Rosalez for architecting candid conversations and additional opportunities for PwC's 175 partners and employees to personally connect! This is the most thoughtfully-orchestrated corporate presence I've ever experienced at a conference! Our firm's commitment to and investment in Asian American professionals is truly inspiring!

Thank you for bringing our Women of Ascend cohort together on the first day of the convention for a networking reception Rachel Huey , Enya Chiu , and Khaya C., M.A., PCC !

#PwCProud #LeadershipDevelopment #allyship #ascendcon2024