Tricia Leong ASA 002 A03 Week 9

One thing that really stood out to me from Wei Ming Dariotis's article "Academic Symbiosis" was Professor Eileen Fung's point that often Asian American women prefer to use a different style of leadership as opposed to the more aggressive Western style. However, because that more soft-spoken leadership style doesn't align with that of many white Americans, the latter group tends to see the former as lacking in leadership qualities. In their minds, this style does not fit their definition of leadership, and the person in question is deemed to "quiet" to be a leader. This cultural difference often ends up costing many Asian American women promotion opportunities, as they are dismissed or rejected for not possessing wanted leadership qualities.

This was a topic I could really relate to, as I have had similar issues when it comes to what defines "leadership." I am a fairly quiet person and prefer to lead by example and build a positive relationship with those I'm leading, rather than demanding and bossing people around. However, this is often not considered leadership to others, and when I am going for a leadership position in something, I am often told to "talk more, talk louder, and be more assertive." People claim that all leaders should lead by example, so deem that quality as nothing special. However, that is not always true- I have known of plenty people whom are referred to as "great leaders" who don't practice what they preach. I see this as hypocritical, but many Americans tend to value the aggressiveness and assertiveness over the example the person is setting. My leadership method- though different from the white American definition- is still effective, but many people fail to see this difference in style. I am going for a higher leadership position in one of my affiliations next year, and it worries me that my team members will fail to recognize my leadership style and thus pass me up for the position.

This leadership issue also connects to the COVID-19 situation in that many leaders in the medical field fighting the virus right now are Asian or Asian American, yet whenever these leaders are recognized or shown in the media for their work, most these individuals are often not included. The Asians are often seen simply as "followers" instead, acting under the umbrella of the more aggressive individuals. Failure to recognize different leadership styles could possibly play a role in this situation, and at the end of the day, could be what prevents many Asian American medical workers from receiving the recognition and appreciation they deserve.

References

Dariotis, W.M. "Academic Symbiosis: A Manifesto on Tenure and Promotion in Asian American Studies". Fight the Tower. Rutgers University Press.

Bacani, C. (2017, July 24). "Asia's Leadership Style: Benevolent Paternalism and Self-Sacrifice". Retrieved from https://www.cfoinnovation.com/talent-management/asia-s-leadership-style-benevolent-paternalism-and-self-sacrifice