Lessons from Asian-American Leaders

The development of underrepresented leaders is vital to me.  

I believe if we can provide underrepresented individuals the right type of development opportunities, they will be tapped to be leaders. In the workplace, each group faces different sets of challenges.  Systemic changes need to be made in organizations to bring diversity to all levels and create an environment where everyone can bring their most authentic self into the workplace.  Right now, we see changes happening, but it will take significant resources over time to see results.   Progress is a two-way street, and along with the systemic change, individuals need to develop the right skillsets to become leaders.

As someone who aspires to provide leadership coaching for Asian-American (#AAPI) professionals, I chose to research Asian-American leaders and their experiences in the workplace for my Masters’ capstone last year.  Asian-Americans are the least likely group in the United States to be promoted to management.  I wanted to focus on what can be done now.  What can individuals do to put themselves in the best position to become a leader instead of waiting for change? How can they find ways to succeed without giving up parts of themselves? My ultimate goal was to answer the question:

How can Asian-Americans be authentic and help themselves to become leaders? 

I spoke with eleven Asian-American leaders from private and non-profit organizations.  I will be sharing some of the things I learned through a series of blogs. 

To find answers, we need to understand the problem.  (Part of the problem is people don’t think Asian-Americans have problems!)

What are the known challenges and barriers Asian-Americans experience in the workplace?

1.    The Model Minority Myth – Stereotype associating Asian-Americans as smart, problem-free, hard workers, and perseverant. While positive, it plays a damaging role because if we're willing to typecast positive stereotypes of one group of people, we can justify using negative stereotypes of other groups of people.  This stereotype is a double-edged sword in the workplace because it positions AAPIs as agreeable, modest, polite, soft-spoken, non-confrontational, high on technical-skills and low on soft-skills.  Also known as lacking leadership skills therefore not fit to lead. 

2.    Cultural Differences – The term Asian-American is broad and covers a group of people who reflect dozens of different cultures, ethnicities, experiences, and histories. Research has identified five common cultural valuesamong AAPIs: collectivism, conformity to norms, emotional self-control, humility and family recognition through achievement.   In many discussions, cultural values have been seen as career-limiting if AAPIs do not know how to translate it in corporate America.    

3.    Representation in Leadership – We can’t be what we can’t see.  Asian-Americans only hold a measly 3% of executive positions in Fortune 500 companies.  This number doesn’t get any betterwhen you look at fields like medicine, law, and technology where there are larger populations of Asian-Americans in the workforce.   

4.    Finding Mentors – There aren't enough AAPIs in leadership positions to mentor those aspiring to be leaders to navigate culture and identity.  A mentor's role is to support the growth and development of a mentee by being a source of wisdom, teaching, and support. There are specific insights you can only get from people who have similar backgrounds from you, and you can be put at a disadvantage if you don't have access to that wisdom.  When searching for mentors, both sides are dealing with fear.  Mentees might be scared to reach out thinking leaders are too busy.  Women and people of color fear backlash and competition if they choose to mentor only those who look like them.  

5.    Networking & Social Ties – The adage, it's who you know not what you know is a crucial part of advancing in the workplace.  Knowing people requires you to network, and it can be daunting for Asian-Americans.  Social ties, your relationships with others, can be strong or weak depending on how close you are with another person.  From what I see, Asian-Americans are good at building strong ties with other Asian-Americans.  However, studies have shown that weak ties (people we don’t know very well) are better at helping people find jobs and get promotions. Asian-Americans who don’t understand the value of weak ties fall behind those who network to develop the necessary relationships.  

This is not an exhaustive list of challenges.  It does provide us with a base to start a discussion on what Asian-Americans can do to help themselves become the leaders they can be.

Join me on my next blog to start thinking about strategies to tackle challenges in the workplace.

---