Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications

As individuals, we are never just one identity, and the concept of intersectionality highlights how multiple, overlapping identities—for example, race, class, gender, and sexuality—contribute to the ways in which marginalized groups of people experience discrimination. In this webinar, we’ll ask how this layering of identities impacts our experience of and contribution to our working environment. Join us as we explore what intersectionality means, how it can shape our professional experience, and what we can do to better support ourselves and our colleagues. || Moderator: Laura Martin | Speakers: Axelle Ahanhanzo, Andolyn Medina, Derek Victor

“A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind,” wrote Nelson Mandela in his autobiography. In the United States, leadership is closely connected to charisma and visibility. If you are not visible, you are not a leader. In many other parts of the world, especially in Asian cultures, leadership is not about being visible. It is the opposite: quietly doing your work and assuming that rewards will come. Can tacit assumptions about leadership lead to different outcomes regarding who occupies top leadership positions in corporate America and other organizations? What is the reason that despite founding one-fourth of firms in Silicon Valley during the technology boom, Asian Americans are still perceived as not “leadership material?” The evidence suggests that Asian Americans, a mere 5% of the U.S population, have contributed a significantly high proportion of entrepreneurs and innovators. But they practice a form of quiet or invisible leadership because of an unconscious, deep–rooted cultural assumption that leadership is about enabling and empowering, not about bringing attention to oneself and shining. Based on Dr. Thatchenkery’s new book on this topic, the talk will highlight the leadership contributions of Asian Americans in organizational settings. It will show that empowering such invisible leaders can create meaningful and positive change in organizations. || Moderator: Damita Snow | Speaker: Tojo Thatchenkery