Insights
Russell Reynolds Associates: Addressing Asian American Under-Representation In The C-Suite
Companies have long aimed to diversify their leadership teams, but with little enduring success. Leaders often point to a lack of qualified candidates in the pipeline and high rates of turnover among diverse talent to explain why their C-suites appear so homogenous. However, the problem also is rooted in how companies define who is qualified to lead.
The dearth of Asians and Asian Americans in leadership roles at US-based companies is a prime illustration of this problem. Companies that fail to diversify top leadership miss out on the performance benefits that come with different perspectives. They are also more likely to continue losing diverse talent throughout the pipeline.
Steps to help US-based companies to navigate current obstacles to diversity while hiring the leaders who are most likely to succeed:
- Nurture the talent pipeline
- Reconsider internal definitions of who is qualified to lead
- Equip all leaders in the organization