Two Glass Ceilings

Sheryl Sandberg raises compelling reasons why so few women are able to reach executive status. I want to take it further and relate it to Asian-American minorities (or worse yet, Asian-American females). Like women, Asians-Americans are statistically less likely than white male counterparts to reach upper-management positions, given the same level of technical skills and education.

To understand why, it's reasonable to examine that which is not taught in public institutions - leadership, culture, personality. Not only is it important to shed from others the perception that Asians are simply hardworking, cubicle-bound machines, we must realize this ourselves and expand our skill set. After passing a certain threshold (e.g. GPA, technical knowledge), success on the corporate ladder becomes less correlated with expertise, and more related to our leadership, drive, and soft skills.

The effectiveness of a decision = quality of decision x level of acceptance.

To improve the latter variable, one must be able to connect to others, understand and empathize, ignite passions, build comradeship, develop trust, etc. Above all, Asians (including myself) are particularly challenged with taking credit for our success. We often displace our strides into the hands of seniors or team members without righteously obtaining recognition. While Eastern corporate culture might commend collectivism, superstars in the West are more apt to stand out and protrude our self-worth (which can also come in handy when say - haggling for a salary increase).

*Disclosure: I am not advocating a corporate lifestyle, but simply relating to those who are already on such a path. If you're stuck, either change your own behavior or change your environment - all paths lead to the same destination.*