The Leadership Experiences of Asian Americans

Although the number of Asian American professionals has continued to increase significantly in the United States, their underrepresentation in leadership roles remains. Given the absence of literature in this area, this article presents a qualitative study on 14 Asian American leaders in order to understand their perceptions and experiences in attaining and performing in leadership roles. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and themes were then garnered from them. Major themes identified included the influence of common Asian values, having to negotiate multiple identities, leading in response to the urging of others, using a group orientation and collaborative style, having a strong work ethic, emphasis on excellence, having to respond to stereotypic perceptions and expectations, and the importance of support and mentoring. Although participants were unique in their experiences, salient aspects across participants emerged showing that they were influenced by their identification as Asian Americans. These qualitative findings generate hypotheses about Asian American leadership that warrant further investigation.