According to last quarter’s oft-cited CareerBuilder survey, only about one third of American workers aspire to leadership positions.
Hispanics (35%), African Americans (39%), men (40%), and LGBT (44%) all aspired more than the national average. But a 2011 study by the Center for Talent Innovation found that a full 64% of Asians and Asian Americans surveyed aspired to “top jobs,” but their representation in Fortune 500 companies’ senior management was grim at around 2%.
There’s lots of great advice out there about breaking the bamboo ceiling and leaning in. Most importantly, career advisors point out that Asians and Asian Americans in the United States will find they must adapt their approach as they move up the ranks, a process that is slower and more difficult than for their Caucasian peers. Cultural values like humility, deference to authority, and sacrifice, which may have helped you up to this point, won’t necessarily land you on the Board of Directors or in the C Suite. On the c