6 Ways to Detect a Trustworthy Boss

Today’s economic uncertainties have fueled an unstable job market and created an unsettling environment in the workplace – where the lack of transparency, internal politics, the growing number of siloeddepartments and hidden agendashave made it more difficult to trust yourself, let alone others.What appears to be an endless path of disorganized chaos is now “the new normal.”As such, we must become mentally tough and learn to anticipate the unexpected.Employees must approach the workplace through a lens that can detect the pot holes of distrust while staying focused on seeing and seizing the next opportunity.

During a recent executive coaching session, my client asked, “How do I know if I can trust my boss?”We had spent severalof the preceding sessions talking about how to detect certain behavioral patterns, body language and interpersonal conduct.While she successfully implemented the mutually agreed upon plan, I spent quite a bit of time reflecting upon our sessions and began to further explore the issue.Much to my surprise, there were many points of view on the subject matter, including:

• When not to trust your boss.
• Should you trust your boss?
• How do you build trust with your boss?
• Learning how to trust your boss.
• This is why your boss doesn’t trust you.

Clearly, this is a topic of interest and employees in the workplace want answers.

Finding the right formula for “trusting the boss” is subjective and has a lot to do with the engagement of specific personality types and how they mesh in certain circumstances.But to help someone identify a baseline for how to most optimally “trust the boss” requires you to have had experienced a boss that, i) you have trusted a lot; ii) you never trusted; iii) and another one in-between.Fortunately, I’ve lived all of these experiences first hand, both in the workplace and as an entrepreneur.These experiences have shaped my “trust filter” and have allowed me to trust my gut about people and their ultimate intentions.As such, it no longer surprises me (though it still disappoints me) when people that I’ve grown to admire have become untrustworthy and as a result have made poor decisions and turned against their colleagues for the sake of personal greed.

To make sure you do not become the victim of someone undeserving of your trust, here are six ways to detect if your boss (or your colleagues for that matter) can be trusted:

1.   Transparent Communicator

Leaders who are transparent communicators make it easier for their employees to most effectively listen, learn and minimize mistakes.When your boss embraces an open dialogue, you feel safe to speak-up knowing that there are no hidden agendas.

 While not mandatory, it makes it easier to trust your boss when your interaction is not always limited to the workplace.I once had a boss that eventually became one of my best friends.While at work, it was all about the duties and responsibilities at hand.When we went to a baseball game as friends, we spoke about our families and had fun.She was a master at “separating the issues” and we grew to trust each other enough that our genuine friendship never harmed our working relationship.

 2.    Embraces Unconditional Feedback

Leaders that can be trusted are looking to grow and mature in their work.They embrace unconditional feedback because they want to continuously improve and become a better resource for you.Bosses like this are rare, but they do exist.They don’t leverage their title or authority to limit your voice.On the contrary, they give you a voice– without feeling that your voice should be restricted to its place on the hierarchical organizational chart.

 If your boss embraces feedback, you must trust them – and yourself – enough to give it.If not, holding back may backfire on you because he/she may lose faith in you if you don’t engagein trust-building when you have the opportunity.This type of boss will expect you to be consistent with your feedback and once a baseline of trust has been established will come to you for advice.

3.   Empowers People

Trustworthy leaders want you to succeed.They empower people to take action and to be themselves.They encourage their employees to take risksand donot judge or penalize them for failed but well-intentioned efforts.When a bond of trust is formed, they are able to acknowledge their areas of deficiency and will more readily enlist your help.

Trustworthy leaders want you to develop your own identity.While they will “coach you up” they will not expect you to emulate them.Unfortunately, many leaders that have power believe that their way is the best way – and therefore will celebrate those who attempt to emulate them.

One of my former colleagues decided that she could get ahead by becoming a clone of her boss.”Kelly” spoke like her boss, dressed like her and over time even started to act like her boss in meetings.Kelly lost her own identity because she felt that emulating her boss would get her noticed for the next promotion.Kelly’s boss found this to be amusing, but instead of course-correcting the situation,she took advantageof it and began micro-managing Kelly for the sake of fueling her own ego. Needless to say, Sandy annoyed several of her colleagues and eventually lost the career momentum she had worked so hard to build – and in the end, she also lost trust in her boss.

4.   Focuses on Creating Leaders, Not Followers

The boss you can trust wants you to be successful.They want to teach you how to be a great leader, not a follower.They share the secret of their success and are not concerned about whether you will use it against them.A boss that can be trusted is not threatened by your success, but rather finds a sense of accomplishment because of it.

They want you to be a star and  will not steal the spotlight from you.They are humble about their success and seek to help create the roadmap for yours.

Perhaps this sounds too idealistic, but I was fortunate to have two bosses like this.They saw my potential and helped me nurture my raw talent.They viewed me as the future of the company; and rather than limiting my abilities, they assigned me elevated roles and responsibilities to showcase my talent and capabilities.I will forever be grateful for these experiences as they taught me the value in always being mindful of supporting what is in the best interest of the healthier whole.

5.    They Invest in the Relationship

Once a boss acts upon the first four points, they have made the commitment to invest in the relationship with you, long term.When the boss has made the decision to trust you, you can feel safe in trusting him or her too.

It is at this point that your boss “technically” begins to sponsor your career; they have your back and will help you navigate your succession plan.

6.   Consistent Behavior

Finally, your ability to detect if your boss can be trusted is predicated on their level of behavioral consistency.If your boss is consistently acting upon points 1 – 5, you can confidently trust him/her.When your boss is consistent – the relationship feels natural – and you begin to understand why people gravitate towards him/her.Your trustworthy boss now serves as the standard by which to measure your relationships at work.

Review these points again carefully and put them to the test.A trustworthy boss is one of the most rewarding assets you can have in your career.Equally, a boss that can’t be trustedwill  not enable the development of your skill-sets and will set your career back many years.Remember that you have a choice and the consequences are serious, the benefits immeasurable.

Good luck on your journey!

• Email or follow-me on Twitter @GlennLlopis.Like us on Facebook!Join our LinkedIn Group.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit is About Connecting the Dots that Don’t Yet Exist

The entrepreneurial spirit isn’t just about money alone.  It’s about building wealth through resources that only great relationship can bring.  It’s about connecting the dots:  those connection points of intelligence, wisdom, desire and ability that exist amongst people and having the intuitiveness to not only know that they exist but what to do with them to continuously cultivate innovation and initiative. This is what Steve Jobs did every day of his life: he used his intuition to connect dots of opportunity that didn’t exist knowing that they would someday.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Steve Jobs, ask yourself:  how many dots are you connecting on a daily basis?   Are you fueling the life of your ideas by being courageous enough to know where the dots exist?  Or are you unknowingly giving your ideas to others to fuel their selfish agendas?

Steve Jobs was a community-minded leader that focused on the advancement of the world.  He created tools (products) to inspire people to share and advance their own ideas.   Steve Jobs cared about being significant at the risk of his own health along the way.

As you think about the dots you want to connect in your life, I would like to share a quote from Steve Job’s now memorable Stanford University commencement speech in 2005:

“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

It simple terms:  Trust Yourself.  Trust yourself to think big, make a difference and be impactful in everything you do every day for the betterment of a healthier whole.  You can’t do this alone.   Steve Job’s gift was that he trusted himself enough to navigate his life’s journey in the face of tremendous adversity and along the way he created wealth and opportunities through the resources that only great relationships can bring.

Thank you, Steve Jobs for your trusting yourself enough to connect the dots that didn’t exist to change the world.  

 

 

 

Who Really Owns the 2012 Hispanic Vote?

As the 2012 Presidential campaign begins and questions loom about who the GOP front runner will be and Obama’s second term fate; there is one critical question that remains unasked, let alone unanswered:  Who really owns the Hispanic vote?

It is clear that the Hispanic voice matters.  This is overwhelmingly evident with President Obama’s recent visit to Puerto Rico and the GOP’s efforts in January to begin charting a course of action under the leadership of Jeb Bush – the proclaimed GOP ambassador to Latino voters.   However, it is fair to say that progress is slow and both the Democrats and Republicans are being challenged in their efforts to solidify a trustworthy relationship with the Hispanic community. 

And yet according to one recent report, by the 2012 election, the Latino vote is anticipated to increase by 26 percent to 12.2 million voters, or 8.7 percent of the country's total.  Why are both parties so slow-footed when it comes to courting the Latino vote?  Read More

Haven’t both parties learned from the recent decline in Obama’s loyalty rating amongst Hispanics?  Hispanics may lag some other immigrant groups in achievement to date, but their immigrant perspective makes them more knowledgeable than many believe.

As the Founder of the Center for Hispanic Leadership, I have been personally asked to take an active role in the past 24 months to help bring Hispanics into the political process, in support of specific political candidates.   Whether these requests are coming from PACs or some of the higher ranking candidate advisors themselves – I am appalled by the blatant tactics they use. Therefore, I have declined to help until they get it right.  This is why I am writing this article.  To help the politicians and business leaders understand the real issues.

With over 50 million Hispanics in the US, it’s time that our politicians figure out how to authentically include the voices of Hispanics in real ways.  Failure to do so will mean missing out on relationships, loyalty, markets, customers, employees – and the future of America.    Politicians can learn a lot from America’s corporations that have made progress in recognizing the competitive advantage that cultural intelligence brings to their workforce.   Corporations realize that developing Hispanic leaders gives them an opportunity to innovate in new ways by embracing their cultural roots.  Corporate leaders have learned that in today’s global marketplace, one size doesn’t fit all anymore.

Corporations view their ROI in Hispanic leadership by the impact and influence they can create.  Unfortunately for politicians, their ROI is only measured in votes.

Hispanics must be allowed to own their vote.   And this doesn’t mean that it’s for sale.   The conventional approach to attract voters does not apply to Hispanics.  Remember that Hispanics have trouble trusting others, let alone themselves.  There are many reasons that Hispanics are the fastest growing sector of entrepreneurs in the US.  One reason is that they want to create opportunity for themselves because they do not believe that others are genuinely listening to them.    What too many US politicians fail to recognize is that Hispanics greatly desire to have a voice and make a difference.  This alone is why Hispanics must own their vote.  If they are not allowed to own it, they will continue to believe that their identity represents a liability, rather than an asset, to our country.   

Hispanics in the US are experiencing an identity crisis.  The lack of infrastructure limits their advancement. For years politicians have failed to create new policies and programs for Hispanics, because they don’t see the value of investment in this community.   As a result, Hispanics have been forced to assimilate just to be accepted and it many cases, get a job.  Many Hispanics will tell you that assimilation represents their path to advancement.   

Unfortunately, Hispanics fail to realize that assimilation accelerates their own identity crisis.  As they begin to lose touch with their culture and values, Hispanics lose the ability to contribute in a unique way to the patchwork quilt of the American story.  They lose their own language.

At a time where the US is reinventing itself, our country would benefit from the experiences gained and lessons learned from the immigrant past of 50 million Hispanics whose history in their mother countries have been fueled by reform and revolution.  

The changing demographics in America require that our politicians become more culturally intelligent about Hispanics and begin to empower their voice and encourage them to take action.

The great thing about democracy is that it allows for freedom of expression and the sharing of new ideas and ideals.   Unfortunately, our current political leadership is not taking the opportunity to create a new platform that empowers Hispanics, their cultural roots, unique capabilities and their voice in America (much like what my father did for me). 

And if you empowered the Hispanics, the cultural and economic boom that would follow would dwarf the Internet boom of the late 90s.  This is especially important for the advancement of Hispanic youth who need to believe that Hispanics can play prominent roles.  

Every week I get calls from school districts asking me to speak to their students. As one superintendent told me, “Mr. Llopis, 80% of our school district is of Hispanic origin and these kids desperately need mentors.  They need to hear success stories from Hispanic leaders like you that never sacrificed their cultural identity in order to be successful.   Our students need to know that they are just as capable of achieving higher level jobs and being leaders in their community and work force as anyone else.”

Why continue to ignore the Hispanic voice when they will represent 30% of America in only the next 20 years?   According to the Pew Hispanic Center, 1 in 5 schoolchildren are Hispanic. 

The time has come to include Hispanics throughout the Presidential campaign process by allowing them to reveal their immigrant perspective, circular vision, entrepreneurial spirit, Latin passion, generous purpose and cultural promise -- the natural characteristics that can make them contributors and innovators to business and society in America.  The next 17 months represents a unique opportunity in history to give Hispanics an identity that matters in America.   An identity that allows them to become leaders and that begins to hold them accountable to the same standards of performance as everyone else.   This would generate a tremendous increase in confidence throughout Hispanic communities all across America.   It would create new competition both in the boardroom and the classroom.  Hispanics would become authentic and well respected leaders in America. 

Can you imagine the new types of opportunities that would surface if 50 million people that were not taken seriously before were now empowered to compete on the same level playing field as everyone else?

I have often heard that just because there are over 50 million Hispanics, they deserve more.   This mentality will only hurt America, but will further erode the credibility of Hispanics in the US.  Therefore, the 2012 campaign must find new ways to awaken the sleeping giant by empowering the Hispanics to own their vote so that can become more responsible to the reinvention of America. 

 

America’s Leadership Needs a Re-think

America's Leadership Needs a Re-Think

Leadership in America should be about holding everyone accountable to the highest standard of community and commerce.  It should represent a voice that is diverse in its spirit, attitude and ownership.  A voice that inspires us all to take action for the betterment of a healthier whole; where we can all stand for something that makes us feel that we have each other’s back and that we are pulling for one another’s advancement.

Leadership should not be represented by specific moments in time.  President Obama’s recent surge in the popularity polls because of the successful elimination of Osama bin Laden is not a reflection of good leadership; that’s what we call management.  We find leadership instead in the long hunt for bin Laden – by two presidents and many other people throughout government and the military.    Leadership should be authentic and trustworthy, a voice that holds on to its relevancy, impact & influence through time.  

As a young man, I remember how President Reagan inspired a country.  Reagan was authentic and whether you believed in his policies or not, you believed in him as a person.   He made you feel proud to be an American.   Reagan delivered a message as if it were a two-way conversation.  Many agreed with him, many did not; but all acknowledged his capacity for leadership. 

So, what does leadership look like today in the US?   It appears to be a combination of sensationalism and entitlement.  Think about the following: Arnold, Tiger, Donald, and Sarah — just to name a few.   The fact that we refer to them by their first name says it all. 

Today, the people are not paying attention.  All the noise around us has made it difficult for people to understand the intentions of our leaders and of our own personal responsibility for leadership.    As such, we are quickly losing our leadership identity.  We need leaders who can cut through the noise and remind us of what we are about – and what our personal responsibility is.

As Gen Yer’s get ready to take over the leadership of America, who are their role models and what will define their approach, style and attitude?   Mark Zuckerberg and Lady Gaga?  How can we help this new generation of leaders?  It’s time for us all to step back and ask ourselves the question:  what is my leadership responsibility and how can I act now?  

I welcome your comments and remarks.

It’s Time for Hispanics to Discover their Leadership Identity and Begin to Contribute to the Revival of the US Economy

Hispanics and the US Economy (Download Mp3)

It’s official:  the Census counts more than 50 million Hispanics in the US.  This acknowledgment of the new prominence of Hispanics in the US brings with it a “to-do” for both the country and the Hispanics themselves:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

To-Do #1:  It’s time for the US to embrace diversity and get real about becoming a 21^st century country.

To-Do #2:  It’s time for Hispanics to stop believing themselves to be victims and embrace their leadership identity.  

As the Hispanic population continues to grow, America’s corporations, schools, colleges and universities must provide culturally tailored training and educational programs to allow Hispanics to flourish in the post-2008 economy.  These programs need to focus on helping Hispanics discover their authentic identity as leaders.  

It’s time for America as a whole to understand the real value, the unique characteristics and the new types of opportunities that Hispanics can create for the country.  The identity crisis that Hispanics are faced with each day has made it difficult for them to advance, thus damaging their identity and limiting their contributions to the economy. 

The fiercely competitive global market requires everyone to begin contributing in newly meaningful and purposeful ways to the global economy.  Hispanics must embrace this to-do like everyone else.  They cannot afford to continue thinking of themselves as victims, and the US economy cannot afford that victim thinking either.

As I discuss this issue with executives in the boardroom and professors in the classroom, they often refer to Hispanics as second-class citizens.  And because of this, Hispanic professionals, adults and children would rather assimilate and reject their essential identities.  If this assimilation continues, we will lose the brilliance and innovative flair of the Hispanic population, and the US economy will suffer as a result, in the competition with the rest of the world. 

To be sure, Hispanics have created their own barriers to advancement.  Because Hispanics in the US are not a homogeneous community, they waste time debating which of their mother countries has more clout in the US, rather than getting on with it and investing in themselves. 

The time has come for Hispanics to embrace their unique cultural differences and realize the power that this diversity gives them.  Hispanics must recapture their authentic identities and train non-Hispanics to understand them.  Hispanics must embrace their immigrant perspective, circular vision, Latin passion, entrepreneurial spirit, generous purpose and cultural promise – the natural characteristics that are inborn in their culture and that allow them to be highly effective contributors to the economy.   It’s time for Hispanics to take it upon themselves to break out of their identity crisis and claim influence amongst their non-Hispanic peers.

Hispanics need to stop being viewed as victims of lost opportunities in their mother country and start being held accountable as new sources for innovation, economic prosperity, global influence and the economic revival of our country.

It’s time for Hispanics to earn the right to be more influential in America.  Population growth alone does not entitle Hispanics or any other group in society to own the resources of our great country.

Until Hispanics discover their authentic leadership role, they will continue to be misrepresented and misunderstood.  Today, many non-Hispanic whites believe they are financing the Hispanic population growth.   Hispanics must seize the moment, take on their responsibilities, and change the role of the Hispanic immigrant in the United States.  At 50 million strong, and growing faster than any other group, Hispanics must grow up now. 

 

The United States Can Learn a lot from Hispanics if Given the Opportunity

On Friday, February 18th,  I was invited by Mayor Villaraigosa's office to attend LA's Best Hosted a Panel Discussion Event with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles in support of the TEACH.org campaign that is focused on inspiring people of color (and in particular Latinos) to consider teaching as a profession.   Panelists also included Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

While the panel discussion was inspiring, it was quite disappointing to watch Secretary Duncan struggle to answer questions from Latino high school students who wanted to hear the honest truth about their future.   Instead, these students heard a confused, unacculturated leader who was disconnected with the realities of what Hispanics are faced with in the US.  It was clear that Secretary Duncan lacked an understanding of the pain that Latinos are feeling in their schools, in society and in the workplace.   But he is not totally at fault.  Our own Hispanic community has not been effective at educating our government leaders.   Secretary Duncan's lack of understanding is the same that exists amongst C-Level executives in America's Corporations.

One thing is for certain: Hispanics are experiencing a major identity crisis in the US.  They don't know whom to follow, what to believe and what standards to live by.   As history has shown us, Hispanics have experienced political crisis and societal change in their mother countries (much like we have in the post-2008 economy). Their families experienced reform and revolution and have wired them to anticipate false promises without preparation.   As such, Hispanics understand survival and reinvention.  They understand what it means to "turn themselves around." 

The United States can learn a lot from Hispanics if given the opportunity.  Hispanics possess the natural characteristics that make them great managers and leaders.   Hispanics have a unique opportunity to emerge as the new leaders of America's corporations.   Our government leaders can accept this fact now and begin to create the infrastructure to support their educational advancement by utilizing the leadership characteristics that are embedded in their unique cultural heritage.  Or, we can continue to ignore the "Hispanic Factor" that continues to make itself more apparent each day and miss the tremendous growth opportunities that Hispanics can potentially bring as a community that will represent 30% of our great country by 2050.  Can you imagine 30% of the US population largely ignored and certainly underutilized?  Hispanics must be given the opportunities to be their natural and whole selves to propel new types of innovations and breed a new kind of economic prosperity for the United States of America. 

Download my free eBook at www.CenterforHispanicLeadership.com:  The Six Reasons Why Hispanic Leadership Will Save America's Corporations, and learn more about the Hispanic Leadership opportunities that the America's Corporations can all benefit from today!

Hispanic Leadership in the Next Decade: We Must Unite to Earn the Right to Have Sustainable Influence

As we embark upon the next decade, there exists a time-critical call to action by all Hispanic professional organizations:  we must unite, to earn the right to have sustainable impact and influence with our corporate audience.  When I founded the Center for Hispanic Leadership (CHL), one of the first things we did was to carefully listen, observe, and learn from other Hispanic professional organizations and their leaders, their mission and intentions.  Our findings were disturbing:  our community is overly protective, we don’t trust one another, and very few organizations seek to collaborate with one another. 

There is no overall agenda that each organization can act on to support the advancement of its Hispanic professional members and its reputation amongst its corporate audience.  Hispanic professional organizations operate in silos, they are territorial, and they don’t do a very good job in seeking ways to unite our collective causes to accelerate the advancement of the Hispanic professional community.  At the current rate of development, Hispanics will have an identity crisis that will be measured in generations.

We Hispanics continue to create our own barriers to advancement.  In the next decade, we must unite, empower and expand our relevancy as Hispanic professionals.  This begins by being transparent with one another and sharing our intentions, challenges, goals and objectives – openly.   We must activate our generous purpose inwardly with our own community.  We must reach out to learn from one another and find ways to create a united community that then extends beyond our own Hispanic community. 

It’s time to learn from the lessons of other multicultural groups that have been faced with similar advancement and identity challenges in the workplace.  Let’s employ our circular vision.  If we don’t manage our Hispanic brand, the marketplace will do it for us. 

The challenges for Hispanic professionals are much greater than the collective resources made available by all Hispanic professional organizations - combined.  We must not view one another as competitors – but as strategic allies.   At CHL, we desire to unite, empower and expand the Hispanic leadership inside of our community, so that those from the outside can begin to experience our cultural promise that is inherit in the ways we think, act and innovate as managers and leaders. 

It’s time to unleash our Latin Passion with proper focus to engage those around us in ways that can create synergy, opportunity and new types of innovations for the betterment of a healthier whole. 

The next ten years will define our Hispanic leadership legacy.  Instead of thinking why we shouldn’t unite, let’s think about our entrepreneurial spirit and how we have limited our advancement potential because we continue to find reasons to disconnect.  Let’s connect our immigrant perspective and our powerful voices to work as one.

It’s time to discover our Hispanic leadership impact and influence and put it to work - quickly.   In 2011, CHL will host the Hispanic Leadership Tour.  Our goal is to create greater awareness about building a global workplace that will give Hispanic professionals new purpose, put a premium on innovation, and maintain ethical leadership on driving performance development.  I would like to personally invite all Hispanic professional organizations and its members to take play an important role in this significant initiative.   Corporations and university leaders will be carefully listening, observing, and learning about our Hispanic leadership style and approach.  They will be evaluating our maturity to lead collectively.  

I have been told by many corporate diversity and talent management executives that we are unlikely to unite.  Our collective Hispanic leadership is the only solution to our fragmentation problem, and it must be developed within our community.   We must embrace our unique cultural difference and the deep-rooted diversity that exists with our own Hispanic community.  We must educate the doubters by being more accountable than ever to awakened our Hispanic leadership that has been dormant much too long.

Hispanic professionals have been forced to assimilate to seek equal opportunity in the workplace.  In the next decade, we must teach others the value of assimilating with us by focusing on being our whole selves in everything we do and how we do it.

Hispanic professionals are in a unique position to fill the many untapped opportunities that the post-2008 economy created.  However, this only begins with our ability to unite as Hispanic leaders, in order to have the right to create a platform for sustainable impact and influence. 

To help us start the conversation, please read my new eBook, The Six Reasons Why Hispanic Leadership Will Save America's Corporations that is available at cost at www.CenterforHispanicLeadership.com.    This features the relevancy of the 6 natural characteristics that define Hispanic Leadership and that can unite our common goals.

Your voice matters and I look forward to your participation in the decade ahead.

Hispanic Leadership is a Business and Societal Imperative

Let’s start this discussion with three essential facts:

1.  Hispanics are estimated to represent 30% of the United States population by 2050

Without Hispanic leadership in the US, the lack of education and workplace advancement will continue to create barriers for Hispanics into the future. The focus on education starts within our families, but the influence must be expanded beyond by providing our Hispanic youth with authentic Hispanic Leaders as mentors and roles model to help create an infrastructure for opportunity with our communities.  Today - colleges, universities and corporations lack the tools to create meaningful and purposeful relationships to properly recruit, retain and train Hispanics for advancement.    With the lack of notable Hispanic professors and highly prominent Hispanic leaders in the news or in the workplace, young Hispanics are experiencing an identity crisis.     If 30% of the United States population in 2050 is in crisis, this will impede growth in the US as a whole.  It will weaken our ability as a nation to inspire new types innovations, to support diversity, and to compete in the global marketplace.

2. Hispanic consumer purchasing power is estimated to reach $1.3 trillion by 2014

To most authentically capture the rapidly growing Hispanic consumer market, corporations must focus on the development of Hispanic leaders in the workplace.   To compete in the Hispanic market space, products and services must be designed and implemented by Hispanic leaders that live and breathe its multiple cultures.     Hispanic leadership and Hispanic market development represent two sides of the same issue.  Fortune 500 brands must be more culturally sensitive and strategic about earning the right to sell to the Hispanic consumer.  Bilingual packaging and high-priced advertising that do not connect culturally will not succeed.    Corporations must earn the Hispanic consumer relationship – and this begins by developing their Hispanic leaders.

3. Our Uncertain Economy Requires the Immigrant Mentality to Reset America

The economy is too uncertain, the business cycle has accelerated too much, and people have changed.  People want to feel like they’re having an impact, like they’re making a difference.  They want leadership that empowers them to be relevant and significant.   Hispanics have the natural leadership characteristics to successfully create a positive impact and influence in today's economy.  Leadership that focuses on sharing, trust, transparency, mobility, and innovation for the betterment of a healthy whole.  It’s time to activate them!

Why is it that 74% of people either don't know or do not believe there is an important Hispanic leader in the United States?   Why should people believe otherwise, if Hispanics continue to assimilate and ignore their cultural roots as a strategic advantage?   The problem is that Hispanics have yet to fully unleash their cultural authenticity that allows them to be their natural and whole selves.

To start this important conversation, I have recently launched my eBook, The Six Reasons Why Hispanic Leadership will Save America’s Corporations, that is available as a free download at www.HispanicLeadershipTour.com.    In it, I reveal why Hispanic professionals have the unique opportunity to assume leadership roles in today’s new economy that is being shaped by a fiercely competitive global market.   Readers will learn why Hispanic leadership will redefine corporate leadership, and why Hispanic leadership will propel workplace innovation to better serve the increasingly diverse marketplace.   In sum, this eBook will jump start a renewed awakening of the powerful immigrant mentality and demonstrate why Hispanic leadership is both a business and societal imperative for America to grow and prosper.

After thorough research, I've discovered the 6 characteristics define Hispanic leadership, based as it is on the rich heritage of the Hispanic legacy.  The time has come to unite the disparate elements of Hispanic leadership under a fresh approach to that legacy.

What are you doing to contribute to the three aforementioned areas of Hispanic impact and influence?   Are you focused on making a mark - or leaving a legacy?  I welcome your views and opinions.

Where are the Hispanic Leaders?

The most recent survey from the Pew Hispanic Center revealed on November 15, 2010 that 74% of people either do not know or do not believe there is an important Hispanic Leader in the United States today.    This is disturbing, when you consider that Hispanics are the majority-minority and fastest growing population in the United States.   What's the problem?  Why are there not more prominent Hispanic Leaders in the US? 

Nearly four years ago, the Center for Hispanic Leadership began its journey to research and to help solve this epidemic, and the conclusions were three-fold.  First, Hispanics battle the gulf between assimilation and authenticity.    Most Hispanics do not truly begin to thrive and create influence until they realize that their cultural roots are sources of strength rather than barriers to advancement.  Second, Hispanics have trouble trusting others let alone themselves.   This is why Hispanics are cautious, somewhat skeptical people.  The root cause stems back to the political and economic corruption our families faced in their mother countries and the wars they fought for independence and opportunity.   Finally, Hispanics in the United States have not fully activated the natural characteristics they possess to maximize their leadership capabilities.   Unfortunately, most Hispanics assimilate to American culture to seek equal opportunity.   As a result, their real identity gets lost and the opportunities for advancement are minimized.    It is difficult for one to advance, when they do not unveil their natural, whole self. 

Advancement in leadership roles requires authenticity, trust and the transparency of unique talent.   Hispanics have created their own barriers to advancement.   For too many years, Hispanics have played the role of the victim, instead of being a resource for new types of opportunities.     It's time to move beyond cultural divide.     Instead of further fragmenting our position in society, Hispanics must find ways to unite.   Though we are not homogeneous community, we must begin to embrace our unique cultural differences and use them to empower our voice and showcase our relevant characteristics that can be utilized in the new economy that is defined by uncertainty and continuous change.   It's time for Hispanics to break-through the barriers caused by the lack of Hispanic leadership, which we have created. 

Our “opportunity window” for advancement has now arrived and the values and skill-sets that Hispanics naturally possess are more relevant than ever before - to renew America‘s leadership position in today’s fiercely competitive global market.    Hispanics must turn themselves around quickly to seize this opportunity window and unite through leadership.   Together we must work smart to earn the right to unite and activate the voices of all multicultural groups whose leadership is ready to be unleashed to reinvent America – using the same immigrant mentality that made our country great!

What are you doing to be a better Hispanic Leader?   How are you creating impact and influence to advance the Hispanic Community and multicultural groups at-large?   How have you activated the natural values/characteristics that make Hispanics great leaders?

Important Announcement:  In an effort to begin this important conversation, today I have released my new eBook, The Six Reasons Why Hispanic Leadership will Save America’s Corporations – that is available as a free download at the official tour website - www.HispanicLeadershipTour.com.    I reveal why Hispanic professionals have the unique opportunity to assume leadership roles in today’s new economy that is being shaped by a fiercely competitive global market.   Readers will learn why Hispanic leadership will redefine corporate leadership, and why Hispanic leadership will propel workplace innovation to better serve the increasingly diverse marketplace.   In sum, this eBook will propel a renewed awakening of the powerful immigrant mentality and why Hispanic leadership is both a business and societal imperative for America to grow and prosper.

Hispanic Leadership is a Business and Societal Imperative

Let’s start this discussion with three essential facts:

1.  Hispanics are estimated to represent 30% of the United States population by 2050

Without Hispanic leadership in the US, the lack of education and workplace advancement will continue to create barriers for Hispanics into the future. The focus on education starts within our families, but the influence must be expanded beyond by providing our Hispanic youth with authentic Hispanic Leaders as mentors and roles model to help create an infrastructure for opportunity with our communities.  Today - colleges, universities and corporations lack the tools to create meaningful and purposeful relationships to properly recruit, retain and train Hispanics for advancement.    With the lack of notable Hispanic professors and highly prominent Hispanic leaders in the news or in the workplace, young Hispanics are experiencing an identity crisis.     If 30% of the United States population in 2050 is in crisis, this will impede growth in the US as a whole.  It will weaken our ability as a nation to inspire new types innovations, to support diversity, and to compete in the global marketplace.

2. Hispanic consumer purchasing power is estimated to reach $1.3 trillion by 2014

To most authentically capture the rapidly growing Hispanic consumer market, corporations must focus on the development of Hispanic leaders in the workplace.   To compete in the Hispanic market space, products and services must be designed and implemented by Hispanic leaders that live and breathe its multiple cultures.     Hispanic leadership and Hispanic market development represent two sides of the same issue.  Fortune 500 brands must be more culturally sensitive and strategic about earning the right to sell to the Hispanic consumer.  Bilingual packaging and high-priced advertising that do not connect culturally will not succeed.    Corporations must earn the Hispanic consumer relationship – and this begins by developing their Hispanic leaders.

3. Our Uncertain Economy Requires the Immigrant Mentality to Reset America

The economy is too uncertain, the business cycle has accelerated too much, and people have changed.  People want to feel like they’re having an impact, like they’re making a difference.  They want leadership that empowers them to be relevant and significant.   Hispanics have the natural leadership characteristics to successfully create a positive impact and influence in today's economy.  Leadership that focuses on sharing, trust, transparency, mobility, and innovation for the betterment of a healthy whole.  It’s time to activate them!

Why is it that 74% of people either don't know or do not believe there is an important Hispanic leader in the United States?   Why should people believe otherwise, if Hispanics continue to assimilate and ignore their cultural roots as a strategic advantage?   The problem is that Hispanics have yet to fully unleash their cultural authenticity that allows them to be their natural and whole selves.

To start this important conversation, I have recently launched my eBook, The Six Reasons Why Hispanic Leadership will Save America’s Corporations, that is available as a free download at www.HispanicLeadershipTour.com.    In it, I reveal why Hispanic professionals have the unique opportunity to assume leadership roles in today’s new economy that is being shaped by a fiercely competitive global market.   Readers will learn why Hispanic leadership will redefine corporate leadership, and why Hispanic leadership will propel workplace innovation to better serve the increasingly diverse marketplace.   In sum, this eBook will jump start a renewed awakening of the powerful immigrant mentality and demonstrate why Hispanic leadership is both a business and societal imperative for America to grow and prosper.

After thorough research, I've discovered the 6 characteristics define Hispanic leadership, based as it is on the rich heritage of the Hispanic legacy.  The time has come to unite the disparate elements of Hispanic leadership under a fresh approach to that legacy.

What are you doing to contribute to the three aforementioned areas of Hispanic impact and influence?   Are you focused on making a mark - or leaving a legacy?  I welcome your views and opinions.