What factors enable mid-level professionals (VPs and Directors) of Asian descent to achieve leadership roles in their organizations?
The research mission of LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics) is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategies employed by effective leaders across multiple sectors, thus filling the gap in Asian American leadership research.
In 2020, LEAP conducted its first study on Asian American leadership, The Asian American Executive Leadership Report 2020. As a follow up to the 2020 report, the overarching research objective of this current research was to understand the factors enabling Asian Americans at the Vice President (VP) and Director level to achieve leadership roles in large, complex organizations across multiple sectors.
Divided into two phases, Phase One of this research used a qualitative research design to uncover the leadership and life lessons of 21 mid level leaders (VP’s and Directors of Asian descent) as rooted in their voices. This report shares insights into the supporting mechanisms, organizational barriers, and characteristics of these diverse Asian American leaders who work in multiple sectors. Phase Two will include a quantitative approach to further understand the specific mechanisms that support Asian Americans’ advancement into leadership roles.
“It's my purpose to give back to my community. And I know this sounds very far-fetched, but I want to, when I retire or when I'm about to die, look back and say, ‘Because I was there, I made a difference.’ And that's one of the reasons why I entered the workforce… because I felt I would be able to effect change on a national scale and really amplify the struggles that Asian Americans have or provide a platform for folks who are like me because where I am, there are very limited Asian Americans.”
Female leader, age 32
Findings
Supporting Mechanisms: Internal and External Factors
For Asian Americans to attain a leadership role and succeed as a leader, it is critical to have a blend of elements that combine internal factors and external factors. Career mobility of Asian American leaders can be accelerated when internal and external factors are in place.
“People look back on their careers or their lives, and they cite failures, but sometimes it's not really a failure. It's like a bump in the road.”
Male leader, age 46
“I think the big thing is recognizing when you need help. This is where I feel, as an Asian, you don't ever get to that point of always understanding when you need help and understanding that it's okay to ask for help.”
Female leader, age 54
Leveraging internal factors is a key to success for Asian American leaders and leaders benefit from external factors that support their leadership trajectories.
“The CFO, I don't know if she's told this to everyone - all five of us - but I distinctly remember her and I having a conversation. And this was when I literally started, and it was within the first six months of us starting. She said something like, ‘You can be the next CFO or something like that,’ which didn't make sense because I'm still figuring out what I want to do with my life. I wouldn't call myself, at that time, overly ambitious, anything like that. So for somebody high up in the organization to say, ‘Hey, you have the potential to do this.’ Having that belief system from this person who I admired greatly– that was really impactful.”
Male leader, age 39
“So I'm a super believer in the environment, and I find that in the wrong environment you could have all the great relationships and all the great vision, but if your environment isn't conducive to those things happening, it still gets stifled. So when it all clicks for me, you have the people who want to do it, and you have an environment that's ready to do it, and I'm here to provide whatever else they're needing.”
Female leader, age 49
Help continue the expansion of research about Asian and Pacific Islander leadership.
Contact Linda Akutagawa, President & CEO about ways to support this work.