Making the Invisible Visible

Making the Invisible Visible is a study of Asian Americans in the workplace and provides a framework through which to transform the same qualities that are contributing to this invisibility phenomenon into a positive leadership approach that provides a counterweight to balance the showmanship approach to leadership.

"Finally, a book that challenges conventional assumptions about leadership. Genuine leadership is about generating substance, value and lasting results - not just superficial and immediate accomplishments, even if highly visible. Thatchenkery and Sugiyama in this original contribution show that quiet leadership is the next frontier in creating organizational excellence." - Vinod Thomas, Director-General and Senior Vice-President, IEG, World Bank

"A must-read for those seeking to understand Asian American leadership models rooted in cultures with collective mindsets, where this invisible leadership is about enabling and empowering. The authors argue that empowering these invisible leaders can create sustainable change and share approaches for recognizing quiet leaders, tools for developing and sustaining quiet leadership, and the impact of quiet leadership on innovation and change. " - Rohini Anand, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo

"In Making the Invisible Visible, Tojo Thackenkery and Keimei Sugiyama are shining a light on the positive power of Asian American leadership. Collaboration, long term focus, and rewarding the whole: Invisible as these attributes may seem, and rare as they may be in our Western organizations, these qualities are precisely what our institutions and our world need today. As a consultant and coach for several outstanding Asian American leaders, and as the mother of young Asian American adults who are finding their place in society, I applaud the truth-telling and clarity of this wonderful book." - Annie McKee, Founder, Teleos Leadership Institute

"Thatchenkery and Sugiyama have indeed succeeded in making the invisible visible in this powerful, research-driven account of the experience of Asian-Americans inside our organizations. More than a call for sensitivity or tolerance toward others who are different, this book shows us what we re missing when we fail to notice the talented Asian-American resources around us. In a competitive business environment, we need all the help we can get. Some of that help is right under our noses, already available and waiting to be recognized for the strengths they bring. In the end, this isn t a book about Asian-Americans; it s about all of us, and what we need to do differently to win." - William Pasmore, Professor of Practice, Teachers College, Columbia University

"As the challenges facing business change, we see how limiting the traditional leadership stereotype is. People outside the standard mold ­­ - younger employees near the bottom of the corporate hierarchy, women who wish to take a break from their careers, managers who lack "charisma" but are quietly collaborative - can be more effective than the typical leader in meeting today s business challenges. Making the Invisible Visible adds a cultural dimension to this issue, showing how in Western companies Asian Americans often hit a glass ceiling, one thatrobs their organizations of the value they could create as senior leaders." - Vineet Nayar, CEO of HCL Technologies and bestselling author of Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down

"Excellence can be achieved through multiple ways that need to be adapted particularly to the culture around us. The leadership contributions of Asians and Asian Americans through quiet leadership is supported by research and interesting illustrations. A must read for those interested in a holistic approach to leadership and change." - Manoj Juneja, currently Assistant Director-General, Corporate Services, Human resources and Finance Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. His title will change to Deputy-Director General (Operations), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

"A powerful narrative about the need to embrace an inclusive model of leadership in global organizations. Thatchenkery and Sugiyama have provided a compelling case for reaching out to the quiet leaders in your organization who may have ideas and strategies that if implemented may give you a solid competitive advantage." - "Tiger" Tyagarajan, President and CEO, Genpact

TOJO THATCHENKERY is Professor and Director of M.S. in Organization Development and Knowledge Management at the School of Public Policy. He is also a member of the NTL Institute of Applied Behavioral Science and the Taos Institute, New Mexico, USA.

KEIMEI SUGIYAMA is a Senior Organization Change Management Specialist at Accenture, a global technology consulting and outsourcing company.