Making Invisible Leadership Work

Abstract

In chapter 3, Making the Invisible Visible, we found from our interviews that common themes could be drawn between the experiences of our interviewees as they progressed in their careers. These commonalities suggest that despite the ambiguity around Asian American identity, shared experiences exist within the Asian American workforce. We also asked these leaders if their cultural values affected the way they experienced their work environment and also the way in which they lead. Although the reactions about their actual experiences varied among the interviewees, many felt that their culture influenced how they approach leading their teams, and despite the diversity across the interviewees in their countries of origin, some overriding core elements of leadership were consistent. We asked if elements of invisible leadership resonated with them, and many agreed. Through the information we collected in the pulse survey and interviews, we can see that although Asian Americans themselves may not be aware of it, there are certain values from their backgrounds that they use to be effective in leading, yet this effectiveness is going unnoticed. Because many Asian Americans may not lead through showmanship and instead focus on doing the work, in an environment where the squeaky wheel gets the grease, many Asian Americans who help to keep the wheels turning are not being seen. It is taking longer for these Asian Americans to rise to senior leadership levels.