I tried a bit of an experiment last night “Live Blogging” the LATISM/NSHMBA get together on Twitter. The discussion covered a number of topics regarding the Hispanic workforce, education, and other areas.
I captured tweets from the participants as well as my thoughts (incorporated into the stream as observations). I attempted to incorporate broader themes and perspectives via CoverItLive …. this is my first time using the software so there was some slips along the way! I’m hoping the captured dialogue and content will serve as a resource for you after the event.
I wanted to bring your attention to a wonderful event happening in Atlanta on October 14th. The Hispanic Achievement & Business Leadership Awards (HABLA) is an annual luncheon recognizing the contributions and successes of Latino community leaders in corporate executive, civic-community, small-business and unsung hero categories.
This year’s keynote speaker, Cristina Benitez, is the author of one of my favorite books,”Latinization: How Latino Culture is Transforming the U.S.” Dr. Benitez’s book covers a number of topics including Hispanic talent and the Hispanic workforce. I referenced the book in my doctoral dissertation. Please also review the biographies of this year’s award recipients. Each is a leader in his or her respective category and serves as an inspiration for Latinos.
The event will also serve as an opportunity to award scholarships to some very deserving Latino students. Take note that scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors or current college freshmen or sophomores. You can find more scholarship information here.
Great work HABLA and congratulations on a wonderful event!
Mary Gentile, director of business curriculum at Babson College, discusses the topic of values in the workplace. An interesting video (via McKinsey) regarding ethics and today’s business environment. The video provides excellent advice to new college graduates as well as senior executives. The question becomes essentially, when is it a good time to be ethical? Professor Gentile provides some marvelous insights about ethical dilemmas and how to act on them. Enjoy!
I’m excited to be part of this great event but more important, I’m more excited to meet an excellent group of Latino professionals who have dedicated their time and efforts to support the leadership development of Hispanic talent. When you have a chance, browse through of the impressive list of summit delegates attending the CHL Summit.
I’m often asked by Latino professionals what the ONE activity they can do to help increase the representation of Latino talent in leadership positions. Obviously, there are many things you and I could suggest. However, when it involves assisting Latino professionals, I always recommend mentoring. Thinking back to the start of my career, I found it challenging to find a mentor that understood my background and experiences. Given my non-traditional educational and career path, I probably wouldn’t have found anyone!
Aside from the counsel, support, and guidance, mentors can also lift as they climb.
Remember that mentoring doesn’t simply involve encouragement; it must also involve career (and leadership) development. Although some organizations have made diversity a priority, many have yet to strike a diverse balance at their senior-levels. There are many reasons for the lack of representation, one of which can be associated with mentoring. People that reach leadership positions are there in part because of a mentor: someone that’s “connected.” Research demonstrates that Hispanics and other minorities are not mentored as much as other groups. This is primarily due to the lack of diversity within senior-level positions. And so it goes – the continual loop.
So ask yourselves: have you created opportunities for Latinos? Have you made the effort to lift as you climb?
Next month the Center for Hispanic Leadership(CHL) will be hosting its first annual Leadership Summit whose theme will focus on embracing innovation through diversity. I was fortunate to have been invited to participate in the summit which will take place September 18th in Los Angeles. CHL Founder and CEO, Glenn Llopis, was gracious enough to spend some time with me on this edition of the HTM Podcast to discuss his perspectives on leadership, diversity, innovation, and the upcoming summit. If you’re not familiar with his Glenn’s work, I’d encourage you to visit his website as well as the excellent work being done by the Center for Hispanic Leadership.
If you’re interested in participating in the leadership summit, Glenn was gracious enough to offer a discounted registration rate of $195 for HTM readers. You can contact me using my company site www.admentis.com or DM me via Twitter @MigueACorona .
I’ll be live blogging the summit so you can also follow along on Twitter using the #CHLSummit .
A few years ago, I went on a trip to Washington, D.C. with a community legislative group. We were there to lobby government leaders for an empowerment zone designation for our community. One evening while in Georgetown, I spent time chatting with one member of our group. When it came to our community, he was always at the forefront: helping, advocating, coordinating, leading. I respected his insights. His thinking was constantly strides ahead of everyone else. As we sat at an outside café, he asked about my studies (at the time I was completing my master’s) and what I was reading outside of course books. I was probably reading the latest management or leadership paperback, I don’t recall now. But what I remember after all these years was his response.
“If you want to learn about being a leader,” he said, “stop reading business books.” Surprised by his reply I asked why. He argued that one important strategy leaders should change is what they read. In many ways, over the long-term, what leaders read influences their interpretation of various issues. It helps define their world view. People who aim at developing a wider and truthful leadership perspective must – and should – always expand their thinking. Leaders must begin to read history, biographies, fiction, and the classics.
Because of that conversation many years ago, I’ve made an effort to supplement my business-related readings to include biographies like those of Washington, Lincoln, Adams, Jefferson, Chavez, and King. I’ve gained a better appreciation of the classics by re-reading books from my high school years by Hemingway, Emerson, and Twain. I’ve also immersed myself in books about art, culture, and society. In short, I’ve always balanced my interest in business with books that remind me about what impacts organizations the most – life.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading a book by Kevin Cashman, Leadership from the Inside Out. If you’ve not read it, the book argues that leaders must transform themselves from task-specific expertise to a type of leadership that is based upon self-discovery and relationships. I’ve enjoyed the book’s leadership perspective. Rather than presenting leadership development as a hierarchical process, leadership is presented as a circular diagram that doesn’t necessarily equate value with one stage over another. I think this is an interesting approach and one I understand.
Often, leadership theeories and models place value judgments on leadership. We’re told that leadership is a ladder, and we feel that we should be progressing toward a certain level of attainment or achievement. In reality, leadership is a journey, don’t you think? Whether it’s through a blog, social media, or research, each of us, in our own way contributes to one another’s leadership development. We all contribute to the body of knowledge as we share our thoughts and experiences. When it comes to leadership, we should strive to contribute to something much larger than ourselves. It’s one of the thing I try to do through my own blog.
I equate this to a large tapestry. We may not create more than one stitch in this tapestry but it’s a composition that enables greater understanding as we continue further along on the journey. Only from a distance, only with time, may we look back and recognize a pattern on this tapestry. And quite honestly, there is also a chance many of us will never see the pattern but we still have contributed to something much greater than ourselves. This is what I believe when I say that leadership is more like a journey. We are perhaps a spoke in the wheel but we’re also part of a greater whole. There is no final destination but an exploration and self-realization of where we are in our stage of leadership.
Note: Here’s the information on the book – By Kevin Cashman, Leadership from the inside out: Becoming a leader for life. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler
Some organizations that are doing their part this Summer to help develop Hispanic the Hispanic leaders and talent of the future. Watch the video, the list will make a bit more sense. : )
Colleges and Universities
Here is a short list of colleges and universities that are making an effort to attract more Hispanics to their campuses as well as developing Hispanic talent. While there are many more colleges that are increasing their outreach efforts, I think what make these schools unique is their location. Please note where most of these schools are located and what it says about Hispanics and higher education.
Center for Hispanic Leadership (CHL)
If you’re not familiar with CHL, you will be soon. CHL’s mission is to teach Hispanic professionals and corporations how to propel innovation through diversity. I’m honored to be part of their upcoming Summit in Los Angeles.
The Lumina Foundation One of my favorite websites for information. They have one overriding mission: enrolling and graduating more students from college. They’re tremendous advocates of increasing the number of Hispanics in higher education and consistently provide valuable information in this regard.
Excelencia in Education
A powerhouse for information on Hispanics in education, Excelencia in Education provides research, webinars, and conferences all related to the development of the Hispanic workforce and talent.
The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education
Always a great source for up-to-date articles impacting Hispanics in higher education, they’re celebrating their 25th year. Their existence literally chronicles the advancement of Hispanics in higher education over the last two decades.
The Hispanic Leadership Initiative at Harvard
An excellent program geared at developing the next generation of Latino Leaders. Their program is impressive and students can apply for the 2011 session starting now. Please watch some of the videos on their site – inspiring!
Hat tip to @Eliana_Murillo , a Harvard grad, for reminding me to add this great program to the list!
The Summit will explore the role of Hispanic professionals and diversity at-large, as well as its impact and influence on propelling innovation in the workplace. By examining the evolving landscape of business, society and the trends that now define the “new normal” – attendees will learn about the new types of leadership opportunities for Hispanic professionals and multicultural groups at-large.
The list of delegates thus far is impressive coming from various industries, backgrounds, and experiences. I’ll be writing more about the event over the next few weeks leading up to it.
I wanted to bring your attention to a wonderful event happening in Atlanta on October 14th. The 
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A few years ago, I went on a trip to Washington, D.C. with a community legislative group. We were there to lobby government leaders for an empowerment zone designation for our community. One evening while in Georgetown, I spent time chatting with one member of our group. When it came to our community, he was always at the forefront: helping, advocating, coordinating, leading. I respected his insights. His thinking was constantly strides ahead of everyone else. As we sat at an outside café, he asked about my studies (at the time I was completing my master’s) and what I was reading outside of course books. I was probably reading the latest management or leadership paperback, I don’t recall now. But what I remember after all these years was his response. 
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading a book by Kevin Cashman, Leadership from the Inside Out. If you’ve not read it, the book argues that leaders must transform themselves from task-specific expertise to a type of leadership that is based upon self-discovery and relationships. I’ve enjoyed the book’s leadership perspective. Rather than presenting leadership development as a hierarchical process, leadership is presented as a circular diagram that doesn’t necessarily equate value with one stage over another. I think this is an interesting approach and one I understand.
