Thursday, February 16, 2012

Asian Indian American Elites: Constructing a Culture of Success



I have been reading and researching on Asian Indian American elites and thought I should share its highlights with you. This is based on “lived” experiences of elite first and second generation Indians who made it big in America.

Indians Americans have a great positive advantage as a "model minority" in U.S. where they are perceived as; smart, hardworking, and family oriented. The negative part of it is that  Indian Americans are not so good in communication and hence most of them end up with non leadership roles. Very few Indian Americans ventured into the more prestigious side, the sales, where they need to rub shoulders with the clients, business partners, and many new faces on a daily basis.
Elites are ‘atypical’ Indian Americans and they have three-fold persona.
Ø  Individual
Ø  Position
Ø  Organizational

Key to the growth and success of the elite people are:
·         Active assimilation to American culture.
·         Excellent Communication and Leadership skills

The elites are well rounded, street smart, and highly sociable. But true success really depends on individual characteristics. And the final ingredient of success is higher moral and spiritual standards.
I will close this note with a statement by a very successful Indian American elite person. “The first question God is going to ask us when we die and meet him is what you did with all the time and gift I gave you. I am just collecting answers to give to God”.

The key takeaway is: Develop a culture of success, based on higher moral and spiritual standards.



No comments: