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Adopt a Game-Changing Mindset
by
Donald Fan, Sr. Director, Walmart |
DiversityBusiness.com Article/- According to the 2009 survey of the Committee of 100, most Americans (73%) believe Asian Americans have made significant contributions to the American culture. By contrast two senate seats, six House of Representative seats, and only 1.5% of FORTUNE 500 corporate board seats are held by Asian Americans, while 33 out of 3,200 U.S. colleges and universities currently benefit from Asian Americans serving as presidents.
 As an Asian American, I find these statistics both intriguing and perplexing. Why does it appear that so many Asian Americans are successful individually, yet that same level of accomplishment does not translate collectively into the fabric of societal leadership represented by corporate America, politics and education? While it may seem easier to blame societal factors, perhaps we can dig deeper to see if cultural roots may play a role in this seeming contradiction. This approach can help us see if there are ways that we can contribute even more to the society through the leadership competencies that are valued in a western culture.
Overcoming the Plateau Syndrome
From a very young age, Asian people are taught to respect and value wisdom, knowledge, and ability. We are told that a contented mind is a perpetual feast. Many Asian Americans equate success with becoming a subject matter expert, a go-to-person, or technologically savvy. When we achieve the level of proficiency, we can easily become enamored with our achieved level of contentment and fall prey to the plateau syndrome. This can lead us down a dangerous path of resistance to change, lost momentum and choked aspirations.
Can we overcome the plateau syndrome? Absolutely, especially from personal development perspective.
- Nurture self-confidence, self-motivation and willingness to take calculated risks. Think aggressively and act assertively when it comes to your own development. Consider how your self-development can positively influence those around you.
- Identify the authentic purpose for your life - who you are, where you are from and what you value - and pursue your purpose with passion. Intentionally nurture a new mindset to lead with courage.
- Confront challenges. Seek opportunities through different jobs, community outreach activities and cross-functional project assignments. This will spur unique insights and breakthrough ideas and also help you appreciate and thrive in an unpredictable and complex environment.
- Pursue the passion of diversity. Today, being a connoisseur of talent is not enough. Proactively tap into unique viewpoints and foster a culture that allows them to emerge and thrive. And learn to bring together divergent points of view, develop consensus and maintain credibility. This openness to diversity of thought will yield dividends far beyond your own capacity.
- Have self-awareness and be honest with your strength and vulnerability. Today, an organization's success depends on a variety of talents and skills that no one leader could possibly have all the answers. Unleash the full potential of the talents around you. Remember individuals don’t win; team do. Constantly solicit feedback and constructive criticism to validate if you’re on the right track moving toward the true north.
Looking Back vs. Forward Thinking
With a cultural history that traces back thousands of years, Asian people appreciate rich historic experiences and lessons. This appreciation may lead many to search for conventional wisdom before starting a new journey. While history is a powerful teacher and can inspire thoughtful planning, overreliance on the past can hamper creative thinking. Looking back positions us defensively, whereas forward thinking positions us offensively. To become an effective leader and adopt a game-changing mindset, we need to become more forwarding thinking.
- Be a visionary architect of your future and the future of your organization. In today’s world filled with volatility and ambiguity, a clearly communicated purpose is essential for your organization’s success. Think like a CEO and maintain a balance between thoughtfulness and decisiveness. As an architect, you are responsible to keep the outcome in mind, not just to provide building blocks and to set the pace.
- Less is more. Mathew E. May, author of the book “In Pursuing Elegance,” defines elegance as something that is simultaneously simple but surprisingly powerful. Drive for elegance by focusing your efforts and resources only on those compelling and impactful projects that are closely aligned with your purpose and strategy. Learn to do more subtraction than addition.
- Be a constructive contributor. Keep “all” in mind at all times: people, community and society. Seek to continuously improve and shape the world around you. Due to the long history of feudal ruling in many Asian countries, some people still believe social responsibility is part of government responsibility and obligation. The distorted concept of citizenship distances them from actively participating in fundamental societal changes.
By overcoming the plateau syndrome and striving to be a more integrative and forward-thinking leader, Asian Americans can become more effective individually and as a collective group to lead and contribute to the society, and to build a better tomorrow for all.
About DiversityBusiness.com
Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness, with over 50,000 members, is the largest organization of diversity owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities. DiversityBusiness provides research and data collection services for diversity including the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities", "Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America", and others. Its research has been recognized and published by Forbes Magazine, Business Week and thousands of other print and internet publications. The site has gained national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and design. DiversityBusiness reaches more diverse suppliers and communicates more information to them on a more frequent basis then all other organizations combined. We also communicate with mainstream businesses, government agencies and educational institutions with information related to diversity. Our magazine reaches over 300,000 readers, a monthly e-newsletter that reaches 2.4 million, and website visitors of 1.2 million a month. It is a leading provider of Supplier Diversity management tools and has the most widely distributed Diversity magazine in the United States. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of Southport, CT. Founded in 1980.
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