It was this year that I have decided to dig deeper into the definition of leadership and studied faithfully what it takes to be a good leader. It was especially important for me to study and understand what it took to be an Asian woman leader in the workplace.
For years, Asian women have been pigeonholed into two-character traits – submissiveness and meekness. Two traits, though noble, that I have never personally associated myself with. My parents raised me to be strong and taught me to depend on no one else but myself and it doesn’t come as a surprise that most Asian women do not fall into those two categories either.
This is the reason why Sheena Yap Chan created the Tao of Self Confidence podcast. Sheena, who is Chinese but born and raised in the Philippines, created the podcast to showcase the unique strength of Asian Women.
“I always knew I wanted to empower women in some way, especially Asian women but did not know how. As an Asian woman, I did not see any support system out there especially ones that help build their self-confidence. Since I couldn’t find that support online, I decided I will be the one to create that support system which led to podcasting,” she explains.
Sheena spent 12 years in the corporate world and now resides in Toronto, Canada where she dedicates her time to sharing the stories of inspiring Asian women leaders.
“Another reason I started the podcast was the underrepresentation of Asian women. There are so many Asian women who are doing amazing things and nobody is talking about it. Sharing these stories helps create a better and stronger representation of Asian women since society labels us as ‘quiet and submissive,’ which is not the case!” she exclaims.
When asked what her personal take is on being an Asian woman leader herself, Sheena responds, “Wow! This is the first time I have been asked this question. To be really honest, I don’t think I consider myself an Asian woman leader especially since I have interviewed Asians who are true leaders in the world today. I do my part to inspire and empower Asian women out there to do and be more. If I can help one Asian woman see her potential, that makes me happy because you never know what that one woman can accomplish or who she can inspire in the process. For me, I think being a leader is not about being who’s the boss, it’s about serving others and creating a positive impact in the world while being your authentic self.”
Sharing other women’s stories has allowed Sheena to reflect on her own journey, such as things she wishes she knew earlier in life that she would like to pass on to other women.
“To be honest, I wish I knew that failure was part of the process. Growing up in an Asian household, failure was seen as the end of all ends so I always see failure as something shameful which made me feel worthless and stupid. Had I known that the most successful entrepreneurs have failed not once but hundreds and even thousands of times, it would have helped me see things differently.”
Sheena wishes that sharing these stories create a ripple effect where women are left inspired and ready to take on the challenges of their own lives.
When asked what her advice would be to women who are trying to leave a mark in their workplace, she says, “For any woman trying to make it in the workplace, don’t be afraid to take a seat at the table. If you have ideas that you want to share, share them. Many times, we never feel like we have any good ideas to share but you are there for a reason. You have something to offer that can help create a positive impact. I have many women tell me how they wanted to share an idea in the meeting but was too afraid to because they were not confident in themselves but then one of their colleagues just shared the same idea they were thinking at that same meeting. Better to share it out than to regret not sharing it.”
To know more about Sheena, follow The Tao of Self Confidence on Instagram or subscribe to her podcast of the same title.
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