Why do so few Asians get to the top?

The answer: for any number of reasons. And guess what, it's not about unintended unconscious bias. It's sometimes conscious concealed misbehaviour, by a certain type of individual. Malicious? – yes. Racist? – sometimes.

Curious? Be warned, this is not a G rated Disney movie. This is MA15+ content. It is purely based on distant observations and stories I've been told over many years. Some aspects have been explained to me by some very clever people. Whomever you are, read this only if you can handle it*.

The Big Picture

In broad terms, we begin our careers as subject matter experts and may later develop what are known as broader skills. Some people focus on the 'detail', while others will focus on the 'big picture'. Either way, I think both groups have substance and are the real deal.

So who moves from detail to big picture? I think it comes down to the individual. We all have a degree of insecurity, that one day, we will be ‘found out’ to be something that we are not. A different individual, called 'the phony’. This insecurity results in some detail experts deepening their expertise, often at the expense of developing broader skills. When this strength is overplayed, it manifests as a tendency to show others how smart they are. This doesn’t show up or reveal the phony, it simply makes it easier for the phony to take credit for their work. 

Those who have detail and more confidence often develop big picture skills. They are dangerous to the phony, because they can spot a phony better than most. And call them out. So if you command both the detail and the big picture, you need to be aware of something very important. You are a nemesis of the phony.

The phony

Phonies disguise themselves very well. After all, it’s the one thing they are quite good at. But they always reveal themselves, if you look for it. You know the type of person. They initially seem very impressive, but time inevitably reveals who they are. Sometimes a lot of damage precedes this.

While phonies may lack substance, that doesn’t mean they aren’t smart or unlikeable. In fact the contrary. They are simply lazy. They like short cuts and quick wins. They happily repeat things they hear as their own insight, sometimes restating it to the person they heard it from. They have standard excuses for not being available to help when the heavy lifting is required, yet readily provide cheap comments that may betray their lack of substance. While some may notice, most people sense the toxicity and sensibly decide not to reveal the phony. They just quietly share their assessment with their (substance) colleagues.

The strategy of the phony

The simple approach of the phony is two fold:

1. Dominate people to take credit for their work.
2. Discredit people who could reveal them.

The life of the phony is to keep playing the strategy until exposed or about to be exposed, then move on and start again.

Strategy 1 - Taking credit for others work

This is about undermining the detail person, by limiting or reducing their big picture capacity, to box them as detail people. By removing someone from the big picture, the risk of that person exposing the phony is reduced. By containing the person to detail, away from big picture stakeholders, it’s easier for the phony to take credit for or dismiss their work. The needs of the phony are destructive and add no incremental value.

Strategy 2 - Discrediting people who will reveal them as phonies

The biggest fear of the phony is being found out. They are extremely good at stealth. They count on the fact that no-one is observing too closely. So who is the nemesis of the phony?

It is the role model. Role models are those others observe closely and aspire to become. For this reason, role models behave as such, hence the term ‘role model behaviour’. Phonies dislike role models primarily because role models make them feel inferior, because they achieve by the rules. Phonies therefore seek to undermine and ‘beat’ role models because it validates their need for esteem. If the opportunity opens, the phony will bet being revealed, for the win of humiliating the role model.

But this is not the most important thing about role models in the eyes of the phony. It’s this. Apart from having substance, role models live under the lens of transparency. For role models, it’s not about doing what you can do if no-one is watching. It’s doing everything as though someone is always watching – because someone is. This gives the role model a unique lens. They can spot a phony from far way. Almost instantly.

Who will the phony target?

Undermining anyone is risky business, because some people possess the skills to repel and expose. Or because an alert and perceptive leader is present. (For the unsuspecting leader who has supported the phony, i guess this may present an understandable dilemma of sorts.) The phony will sensibly look for situations where the probability of winning is higher. So they target a role model they believe is weak or defenceless. Someone from a minority group is the typical choice, which enables the pretender to begin from a position of advantage, by outnumbering the target. Here's an example of the thinking:

1. undermine the target in a manner that may be construed as unintended or accidental;
2. ensure that the target must place their credibility on the line if they decide to challenge, (while in comparison, the pretender risks very little);
3. repeat this, in the knowledge that the target cannot respond every time, otherwise risk been viewed as squabbling (some pretenders may even smugly advise their targets of this).

The cumulative effect of this is a win-win for the pretender:

• if the target responds, they will pay an 'admission price' for doing so;
• if the target does not respond, this emboldens the phony, belittles the target and attracts other phonies to join in.

When leaders are not sharp to this behaviour, it might sometimes unwittingly create an environment of ‘permitted discrimination’. Maybe it’s not only intended, maybe it’s malicious? I suspect that the success of the phony depends on two things. The quality of leadership, and the distance things unfold, from the eyes of the one person uniquely bearing full responsibility for the culture of the company, the CEO.

Why is this important for Asians?

Because the nemesis of the phony might shape up as follows:

• For strategy 1 – someone who is perceived for superior command of the detail and also known for lacking broader skills. If you have seen the movie The Big Short, then you will know. Asians.
• For strategy 2 – role models, in particular Asian role models who command both the detail and the big picture.

While there is a focus on so called (G rated) soft skills, maybe there also needs to be a focus on harder (MA15+) skills. I would describe these as ‘hand to hand combat’ skills and ‘defences against the dark arts’. I may explain these in future articles, presentations and masterclasses.

So why don’t Asians make it to the top?

Because, I guess, sometimes they don’t know how to deflect phonies. And if they do, maybe they must either way pay a price for engaging, or a price for not engaging (because you can’t respond every time), that limits career progress.

On the horizon, I predict that things will change, as phonies are more closely watched by leaders who are alert to the harm the misconduct causes. I also predict that this harm will be more than expected. Addressing misbehaviour is but one element of my holistic proposition for change (which strangely enough, I have named accordingly).

Next steps

To begin the journey, first read my earlier article The Importance of Being the Bigger Person, because to understand, you will need your dignity.

Watch this space. Eyes of the CEO is coming.

(*of course, you'll have to read it to know if you can handle it)