Race

Why Aren’t There More Asian Americans in Leadership Positions?

Stereotypes contribute to the problem in two ways.

by

Stefanie K. Johnson

and

Thomas Sy

by

Stefanie K. Johnson

and

Thomas Sy

December 19, 2016

Since the 1960s, Asian Americans have become the country’s “model minority,” largely due to significant increases in mobility that have mostly (though perhaps inaccurately) been attributed to education.

Stefanie K. Johnson is an associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business and author of Inclusify. Dr. Johnson studies the intersection of leadership and diversity, focusing on how unconscious bias affects the evaluation of leaders, and strategies that leaders can use to mitigate bias. She is a member of the MG 100 Coaches and the 2020 Thinkers50 Radar List.
TS

Thomas Sy is on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at the University of California where he teaches and conducts research on leadership and teams. In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Sy provides consulting, training, and coaching services to industry. He has served a variety of client organizations, including General Motors, Google, Boeing. His research has been published in a number of outlets, including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, as well appearing in popular media such as National Public Radio, London Times, Washington Post, and among others. Dr. Sy has also served in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret).

Why Aren’t There More Asian Americans in Leadership Positions?

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