Why We Need Different Leadership

By Meghna Majmudar

The leaders we’re talking about now—such as Claudine Gay, the first Black woman president of Harvard, Lina Khan, the first South Asian woman Head of the Federal Trade Commission, and even Fani Willis, the first Black, woman District Attorney of Fulton County, GA—are more diverse than ever before. Unfortunately, when we apply the usual metrics of “good leadership” like vision, executive presence, gravitas, followership, unassailable moral character and such, these leaders are found wanting.

There is an insinuation that their difference makes them less capable, less good than a “traditional” white male leader, of a certain age. Did they benefit from more relaxed standards to meet a diversity goal because they are a woman, person of color, or immigrant? Do they really deserve their spot at the top? Actually, the better questions to ask here are: Why does this leader make me uncomfortable? Could they be pointing out what doesn’t work in our current status quo—and the difficult change that is needed?

Each of the leaders I mentioned, and the millions of other first and only leaders—people who are the first from their family or community or the only one like them in the room—are undervalued, criticized, and often caught under a glass ceiling. They regularly work their way up following the advice to lead from behind, wait their turn, and learn the ropes to climb the ladder, despite crushing microaggressions and bias. All this to no avail.

Moving beyond the Model Minority Myth and the Bamboo Ceiling
Let’s take the example of Asian Americans in the United States. Long considered a “model minority” group, the stereotype is of a polite, smart, high-achieving group that works hard for it’s social mobility and financial resources. To a certain extent, we see this in the numbers when it comes to college graduation and Ivy League matriculation. Currently, Asian Americans have a college graduation rate slightly greater than White students. Since 1990, Asian Americans have historically hovered between 15-20 percent of Ivy League school student populations. But, currently, Asian Americans make up just over 2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. There seems to be a “bamboo ceiling” that is difficult to pierce. And this discrepancy in educational achievement and professional achievement starts to point out that the idea of the “model minority” is a myth, having its roots in the mid-20th century as a way to drive a wedge between Asian Americans and other racial minority groups fighting for civil rights. After decades of explicitly discriminatory laws and policies against Asian immigrants, depictions shifted to portray Asian Americans as able to succeed, downplaying the racism and structural barriers facing other historically excluded groups. This harmful myth ignores the unique challenges and diversity within the Asian American community which includes populations from the Middle East to the Pacific Islands. It created an "us vs them" mentality that turned attention away from important questions to preserve the status quo.

As with Asian American leaders, first and only leaders tend to get to the “middle” tier of success and achievement but are woefully underrepresented at executive levels, in positions of power and decision-making. I have seen this pattern play out in my own experience and that of the hundreds of leaders I have coached. Most solutions put the onus of change on the individual leader and their shortcomings or on non-specific calls to reduce microaggressions or structural bias in our organization—not appreciating that the moment has come for validating a different set of leadership qualities and perspectives at the top of our organizations.

To be sure, I am not advocating premature promotions or leadership positions. I’ve seen the backlash and negative effects of these expedient practices. Nor am I advocating for anodyne interventions like mentorship and sponsorship programs that focus on individual actions only—and perpetuate the idea that “one lucky break” is what it takes. Rather, I am suggesting we look through a different lens: that of our expectations about what power looks like on different bodies and questioning the status quo when discussing leadership. Leaders today are navigating complexity that has rarely been seen before. Leaders outside of the American-born, white, male identity have an even higher bar to clear to be seen, heard, and followed; and this becomes especially salient with each degree of difference from dominant culture.

Claudine Gay and Lina Khan both have sterling pedigrees. At a crucial moment of leadership, when the former highlighted the hypocrisy of the status quo, she was stripped of her title. The latter is taking on powerful companies, questioning if “how it’s been” is working, and building a different case over time, making those in power within Big Tech very uncomfortable. Sure, a change in administration will likely bring a swift end to Khan’s Chairperson-ship. However, I can’t help but root for her and her ability to fluently navigate multiple power dynamics, and the difference she is making at such an early stage in her career.

The way we think about leadership and who is an effective leader is up for revision. It helps nobody to devolve into a conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion when new leaders— leaders who are different, who are first, who are only—question the status quo and point to a different world (and future) that many, if not all of us, would want to live in.