Keimei Sugiyama

Inclusive Leadership Development: Drawing From Pedagogies of Women’s and General Leadership Development Programs

Trends in extant literature suggest that more relational and identity-based leadership approaches are necessary for leadership that can harness the benefits of the diverse and globalized workforces of today and the future. In this study, we compared general leadership development programs (GLDPs) and women’s leadership development programs (WLDPs) to understand to what extent program descriptions addressed inclusive leadership—leadership that draws on relational skills to value both the uniqueness and belonging needs of diverse identities to create business effectiveness for the long term. GLDPs predominantly reflected pedagogical assumptions of separate knowing, development of the autonomous self, and masculine leadership approaches of agentic and transactional leadership. In contrast, pedagogical assumptions of connected knowing, development of the relational self, and relational and identity-based leadership approaches were more prevalent in WLDPs. These findings suggest that WLDPs continue to offer significant value to supporting women leaders in their advancement, yet both WLDPs and GLDPs can do more to be inclusive of additional diverse identities to better develop leaders of the future who can lead with inclusive behaviors. We suggest a pedagogical framework for inclusive leadership development that may better balance and promote synergies between achieving business priorities and relating to others and their diverse identities.

Careers in construction: Developing career identity out of redefining moments

More recent understandings of careers develop in sharp contrast to traditional approaches founded on linear trajectories carried out in singular organizations. The rise of dynamic careers, such as ...

Academic womanhood across career stages: a work-in-life perspective on what was, is, and could be

ABSTRACT Using the framing of narrative identity, we illustrate the asymmetry that is characteristic of faculty work lives, especially when caregiving responsibilities clash with the seemingly indestructible ideal-worker norm. Based upon life stories of a multi-generational team of women faculty, we describe the interplay of individual and institutional dynamics that affect women’s work/family choices, success, and fulfillment in academe. We juxtapose our experiences at various career stages with the institutional supports, policies, and programs we would have needed to successfully integrate lives and careers. Across career phases, we employ three naming and framing shifts essential to advancing scholarship and moving policy around work and family to one where both men and women thrive. First, we choose the language of work-in-life integration over balance. Second, we use life-course as a framing for narrative identities, not pipeline. Finally, our accounts go beyond a family-friendly workplace to a life-friendly perspective, which allows us to draw attention to the understudied needs of faculty without children and/or immediate family caregiving responsibilities, and include faculty at later career stages. We conclude this tour-de-force through our work/lives by comparing multi-generational experiences, commenting on progress as well as remaining challenges to elucidate implications for policy, institutional culture, and a better academy.

A Pulse Survey of Asian Americans at Work

In writing this book, we knew from personal experience and through facilitating past discussion groups that Asian Americans were facing unique challenges in the workplace that were going unseen. We found research and statistics to support the glass ceiling for Asian minorities that can be found in chapter 7, Invisible Minority; however, we wanted to find out how Asian Americans themselves felt about their experience and provide them with a voice. We also wanted to validate our assumptions and determine if the impressions we had could be found across a random sampling of Asian Americans. The common theme we found in talking with Asian Americans through different discussions and focus groups conducted by both authors throughout their careers is that Asian Americans often viewed their experience as an isolated individual occurrence, and they did not see the tie into a larger community of experience. One survey respondent commented on this issue by saying: I think the whole idea of labeling oneself an ‘Asian-American’ is defective thinking. Living in America, we need to believe and understand that we are not ‘Something’-American. We are all simply American; regardless of our heritage, or ethnic background… I hate organizations that are specifically designed to promote a minority race or ethnic group… I am proud to be an American, not Asian-American. Whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.

Highlighting Invisible Strengths

In chapter 5, Making Invisible Leadership Work, we provided examples of Asian American leaders who successfully make invisible leadership work in high-level CEO positions. Each of these leaders exhibit a great deal of passion for the work they do, and by focusing on leading through “doing” rather than leading through “showing,” they are able to lead their organizations from an authentic and genuine perspective. Each has a good understanding not only of their customer population but also of their talent because of the effort they make to be deeply connected to the mission of their organization and accessible to all levels of employees. They are able to lead in this way because the lens through which they see their organization and their work is not through one of showmanship or as Nooyi called it “playing politics,” but in taking a long-term focus to build for the future of their organizations. In order to achieve this long-term focus, they emphasize collaboration and meritocracy in recognizing the overall team and not a “star” leadership structure. These are key elements of what we have defined as invisible leadership. Given that there are examples where invisible leadership has been successful, what are some career strategies for Asians and Asian Americans in following these examples?

Making Invisible Leadership Work

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.

Making the Invisible Visible Interviews and Analysis

In chapter 2, we discussed the results of a pulse survey on Asian American perspectives and attitudes toward work, career advancement, and invisible leadership. We asked Asian Americans about how they feel at work, how they are treated, how they communicate, and also about how they perceive career advancement opportunities to progress into leadership positions at their workplace. The results of this survey confirmed our understanding of the Asian American experience and the information we’ve found around glass-ceiling issues. Although we received several comments in the survey that provided contextual information for the numeric responses, we decided it would be important to deepen our understanding by conducting additional interviews with Asian Americans. We chose to interview Asian Americans who reached senior levels of leadership in their organization so that they could provide insight from their broad range of experience and from their big picture perspective on their organization.

Invisible Leadership What is Invisible Leadership

In 2002, the rocket scientist-turned-president of India, Abdul Kalam, delivered the first Satish Dhawan Memorial Lecture at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The internationally known ISRO is one of the largest and most successful public sector organizations in India, considered to be on par with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for its scientific breakthroughs and innovation. In his lecture, Kalam said that if there were one management mantra that India should teach the world, it would be that of invisible leadership. Kalam himself was the recipient of such leadership that supported him in his successful career.

Seeing the Ceiling

Both authors of this book have conducted workshops or seminars on the glass-ceiling issues raised in this book. In one such workshop, senior-level managers were asked to serve on a panel and share thoughts with junior team members about how they progressed in their careers and reached the level that they had. The session first started with an overview of glass-ceiling issues, and then leaders talked about their own experiences, what they did in order to reach their level, and what they saw in store for themselves in working to get to the next more senior level. When reflecting on how the glass-ceiling issues discussed resonated with them, some leaders agreed with the information presented while others did not. In a discussion such as this where individuals were asked to reflect on their own experience, inevitably, the question of Asian American identity comes up.

Strategies for Organizations

As we come close to concluding our analysis of invisible leadership, we wonder if a senior executive of an organization reading this book will ask, “what can my organization do to address the issue of potential invisibility of a very talented segment of my employee population?” We hope that many will. Asking the right question is the best starting point. Yet, our experience suggests that a significant group of senior leaders assume that it is up to the employees to learn to be visible. A Chief Information Officer (CIO) of a large IT services company shared with us that if he were to spend time identifying invisible leaders, he won’t have time to run his company. He was merely sharing what many in the C-suite will see as a consensus—that in the hectic organizational life where time is a precious commodity, seeking to ‘unearth’ quiet leaders is not a high priority. ‘If you can’t bring visibility to yourself, how can you bring visibility to your company?’ asked the same CIO. Another senior Human Resource (HR) executive in a global conglomerate pointed out to us that there are also lost professional development and career growth opportunities for Asian Americans and Asians when they don’t do the “right thing” and attain the visibility necessary to be seen as leaders in their companies.