Latinidad and Leadership
Rev. Dr. Joanne Solis on how cultura does matter in organizational culture
As a Latina leadership scholar, I find a troubling and limiting gap between organizational culture and my cultural background.
For Latinx co-workers, it is not uncommon to greet each other with a hug and extend la bendición, or the blessing. This affectionate greeting can be misconstrued in organizational settings where such a degree of intimacy and personal contact is not the norm, even though an embrace is a Latino cultural norm.
But how can my leadership be of maximum impact without my Latinidad?
By “Latinidad” I mean the cultural attributes and shared practices that connect the experiences of people with backgrounds from different parts of Latin America to the United States.
Cultura does matter, and not only to me. My culture can help the organization’s culture in ways beyond the option of clicking a box labelled “diverse” or “global”. Culture is about raíces—deeply-rooted traditions, beliefs, values, behaviors, and the history and language of a particular group of people. Culture is about the food, dance, music, and customs that are passed down from generation to generation.
But culture is also about communication and attitudes and relational orientations.
Within institutions, culture is referred to as organizational culture. There are norms and behaviors that determine the identity of an organization and contribute to defining “the way things are done around here”. As a result, the culture of the organization defines the work culture of individuals: People are expected to act in ways that reflect the identity of the organization.
“But how can my leadership be of maximum impact without my Latinidad?”
Moreover, organizational culture encompasses leadership. For instance, as a seminary educator, I seek to lead out of my cultural identity by implementing strategies that make sense to Latinx students. Because Latinx place a high value on family relationships, I developed a retention strategy that emphasizes the cultura of la familia. The results were positive, and retention levels consistently remained above-average as the students discovered great education in a familial community of deep belonging. Although the strategy was unconventional in a work setting, the organization was better for it.
While organizational culture is extremely important, organizations often affirm it at the expense of the diverse cultural values of individual leaders. This usually results in a loss to the organization as a whole. I recall an instance when I was asked to suggest a candidate for a position that required someone who could speak both Spanish and English. With great confidence I recommended an internal candidate, a leader who had the skills and training. She was not invited to apply for the position, however. The leader’s native language was Spanish, and she spoke a strongly accented English. The team making the decision determined that the accent would make it difficult for the candidate to interact with English-speaking colleagues who spoke “perfect English,” and the institution lost the opportunity to retain a highly qualified leader.
There is a deep loss to both the leader and to the organization when it dismisses the cultura of the leader. As a leader, I do not take off my Latinidad at work. Yet, organizations expect me to sacrifice mi cultura for the culture of the organization. Over 76% of Latinx, in fact, report that they feel they must repress their cultura while at work. The report cites instances in which Latinx executives were told, “Don’t be so passionate or expressive.” The report also details the story of a Latina leader who was asked to change her name so that her English-speaking colleagues could more easily pronounce it.
Diversity statements alone are insufficient.
Organizations need to reconsider leadership in ways that account for the cultural traditions of leaders. An organization cannot claim to be diverse and/or global without embodying a true commitment to the diversity of the people. This is why diversity comes and diversity goes. Diverse representation is important, but what is truly transformative is building relationships, sharing authority, and creating new systems.
Given the changing demographics of the United States, many institutions are now intentionally recruiting ethnic minority leaders. However, as one colleague says:
“They want us [people of color] to come and work on campus but don’t move the furniture.”
In other words: Don’t act like yourself. Have a spot at the table, but don’t speak up. And certainly don’t think you can influence change.
But if an organization is going to be diverse, it must move beyond appointing a token Latinx to its Hispanic Heritage Month committee. Organizations must create a genuine space of belonging, value, influence and authority for Latinx leaders.
Latinx are a ‘we’ people, concerned with the advancement of all. We are most willing to promote values connected with being familia and to understand what it means to work en conjunto. These are competencies that positively contribute to the collective success of any organization. Those that create a culture in which Latinx are welcomed and included will gain leaders who remain loyal for many years to come. Beyond the observable surface culture, it is the deeper, invisible cultural behaviors that account for 90 percent of leadership behavior.
If an organization expects Latinx leaders to check their Latinidad at the door, then that organization will have to lose out, because our answer is a definitive “¡No, thank you!”
