Why most Asians do not make it up on the corporate ladder in USA

Human resources consultant Jane Hyun says that some Asian cultures encourage an ethic that rewards hard work without seeking public recognition. "'But hard work alone isn't enough," says Hyun, who runs an executive coaching firm called Hyun & Associates and is the author of Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians. "Asian cultures have sayings like 'The loudest duck gets shot,'" Hyun observes. "This is totally opposite from, and incompatible with, Western notions like 'The squeaky wheel gets the grease.'"
Michael Hyter, author of a new book called The Power of Choice, agrees. As head of Boston-based consulting firm Global Novations, he has noticed in his work with American and Asian clients that "there is a real cultural disconnect.
"Americans are taught to show leadership potential by being gregarious, outgoing, outspoken, and confident, but the Asian ideal is to work very hard, be humble and deferential, and blend in with the group. Expressing opinions or proposing changes is often seen [in Asia] as disrespectful."
About half (48%) of respondents to the CWLP survey said the biggest hurdle Asian Americans face is "conformity to prevailing leadership models."
Says Hyter, "It's important to take a close look at who is getting promoted at your company and analyze what they're doing, besides working hard. You need to understand how your company defines leadership qualities."
He notes that technical skills are the easiest kind to identify and measure, so "they tend to be how we evaluate our own performance. But, although no one talks about it, promotions are 85% based on other skills, like the ability to influence others and form strategic relationships."
You don't have to go it alone. Hyter, a former executive at Dayton Hudson (now Target) who happens to be African-American, says his own parents instilled in him the idea that "getting good grades and out-working everyone else would make me successful," he recalls. "Then I noticed that alone was not doing it. Luckily, I had a mentor who helped me figure out the unwritten rules."
You need one too. "It should be someone at least two levels above you in the organization," Hyter says. "Ask for feedback about what you need to work on."
At the same time, both Hyun and Hyter urge you to expand your network and boost your visibility by seeking out "opportunities to lead projects and influence people," Hyter says. "It requires you to stretch a little -- without losing sight of who you are."