Big Asian Energy
An Unapologetic Guide for Breaking Barriers to Leadership and Success
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
In his groundbreaking leadership book, John Wang, a top empowerment coach to Asian American professionals across Fortune 500 companies, offers research-backed guidance for Asian Americans to embody their most confident selves in business, relationships, and their everyday lives.
Asians today are smashing box office records, winning Oscars, dominating global music charts, and reaching the office of vice president of the United States. Yet studies show Asian American professionals are still less likely to be promoted to leadership roles, and they struggle with self-confidence and self-criticism more than any other racial group. With Asian visibility now higher than it has been in decades, how can the new generation of Asian Americans finally step into our power?
In his book, John Wang offers his unique framework for empowerment. He is an experienced leadership coach to the Asian American community who can help readers in every area of their lives. He has supported hundreds of clients from Google, American Express, Goldman Sachs, and other global companies, and his coaching videos have reached more than 25 million views on TikTok. Through proven exercises and successful client stories, he shows how cultural values like collectivism might make some avoid claiming credit in group projects, or how deference to elders creates communication issues. He sees Achievers and Fixers burning out, and Chameleons or Invisible Ones assimilating themselves into imposter syndrome. Instead of urging assimilation, Wang will show Asian Americans how to advocate for themselves on their own terms, through culturally informed guidance.
Through his deeply relatable stories and his witty and disarming voice, John Wang offers a bold, moving, insightful, and practical guide. Big Asian Energy aims to teach readers to identify their authentic strengths and values, and to finally break through societal barriers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lamenting the underrepresentation of Asians in the C-suite, leadership coach Wang debuts with an empowering guide advising Asian readers on how to climb the corporate ladder. He outlines seven behavioral patterns that hold back Asian employees, suggesting, for example, that "achievers" feel pressured by "model minority" stereotypes and high parental expectations to overperform in everything they do. Such individuals should reject perfectionism and "let ourselves be a little messy," Wang advises. Encouraging readers to seek recognition for their accomplishments, Wang discusses how after a client was omitted from a colleague's congratulatory message for her team, he urged her to point out the oversight to her colleague, who apologized and talked up her achievements to her superiors. Helpful suggestions abound, as when Wang recommends asserting one's authority by avoiding such phrases as "I think" and "kind of," as well as pushing back on microaggressions by asking offenders "I don't get it, can you explain the joke?" or "What did you mean by that?" Unfortunately, the exercises peppered throughout are undercooked. For instance, readers are urged to boost their confidence by walking through public spaces with their head held high or envisioning themselves as a "twelve-foot-tall golden god." Still, this will be a boon for Asian workers eager to take their career to the next level.
