Latina Leadership Lessons

Fifty prominent Latinas give their top ten tips for being a successful leader.

Delia Garcia exhibited her leadership skills at the age of 13, when she organized the first Youth American GI Forum Chapter in Wichita, Kansas, where she was born and raised. She went on to become the first Latina—and youngest woman—elected to the Kansas legislature in 2004 and the first Latina appointed Secretary of Labor in her home state. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Garcia gathers “Top Ten Leadership Lessons” from 50 high-achieving women. This “who’s who” of movers-and-shakers contains representatives from government, corporate and non-profit worlds. While each woman’s unique experiences and heritage are reflected in her advice, there are several recommendations that made many of the lists, such as the importance of believing in oneself, the need to mentor and be mentored, remembering one’s roots, embracing change and taking care of one’s physical and emotional needs. Contributors come from every region of the country, and include Dr. Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, the dean of the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, a contributor to NBC News and a political analyst for Telemundo; Yulin Cruz Soto, the former mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, who dealt with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria; Hilda Solis, former US Secretary of Labor and California state senator and congresswoman; and Maria “Gaby” Pacheco, a young immigrant rights advocate who spearheaded the efforts that led to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This powerful and intriguing collection introduces an impressive group of women who have reached the pinnacle of success in their work, despite having to overcome obstacles related to gender, ethnicity and sometimes immigration status.

Latina Leadership focuses on the narratives, scholarly lives, pedagogies, and educational activism of established and emerging Latina leaders in K-16 edu­cational environments. As the first edited collection foregrounding the voices of Latina educators who talk back to, with, and for themselves and the student communities with whom they work, this volume highlights the ways in which these leaders shape educational practices. Contributors il­lustrate, through their grounded stories, how they navigate institutionalized oppression while sustaining themselves and their communities both in and outside of the academy. The collection also outlines the many identities em­bedded within the term “Latina,” showcasing how Latina scholars grapple with various experiences while seeking to remain accountable to each other and to their families and communities. This book serves as a model and a source of support for emerging Latina leaders who can learn from the stories shared in this volume.

Embracing diversity, valuing people, taking action Over 50 million Latinos live in the United States, and it’s estimated that by 2050 one in three of the US population will be Hispanic. What does it take to lead such a varied and vibrant people who hail from twenty-two different countries and are a blend of different races? And what can leaders of all cultures and ethnicities learn from how Latinos lead? Juana Bordas takes us on a journey to the very heart and soul of Latino leadership. She offers ten principles that richly illustrate the inclusive, people-oriented, socially responsible, and life-affirming way Latinos have led their communities. Bordas includes the voices and experiences of other distinguished Latino leaders and vivid dichos (traditional sayings) that illustrate positive aspects of the Latino culture. This unprecedented book illustrates powerful and distinctive lessons that will inform leaders of every background. “America grows more diverse by the day. Leaders want to understand and motivate those they lead but may feel intimidated by the complex history and culture of Latinos in America. Juana Bordas has written a handbook for making sense of it all. The Power of Latino Leadership helps the reader decode the coming America and the changing workforce.” —Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent, PBS News Hour, and former host, Talk of the Nation, NPR “Bordas has mentored generations of young Hispanics throughout her distinguished career. [Here] she presents a compelling case for how the strengths Hispanics bring to the table...can infuse new life into leadership development for all of our country’s current and future leaders.” —Janet Murguía, President, National Council of La Raza “Juana Bordas provides timely insight into Latino contributions to our nation’s future and why their influence will continue to increase.” —Arturo Vargas, Executive Director, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials “To develop a deeper appreciation for the countless contributions the Latino community is making to America’s multicultural leadership journey, read this book!” —Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and Great Leaders Grow

This dissertation was a summative program evaluation with qualitative inquiry of the Latinas Learning to Lead Summer Youth Institute. This week-long leadership development program is exclusive to college-age Hispanic women. To determine if the mission and its objectives were attained, program graduates completed a survey and were then invited to participate in an in-depth interview. Data gathered found that the program mission and objectives were met. Various themes of significance included a need for role models and mentors, increased confidence and motivation, sense of cultural belonging, and realization of self-truths. Further research should include a longitudinal study as well as research on those Hispanic young women who were not able to participate in this program.

This updated and expanded edition is the first and only book to offer a leadership model firmly based on the Latino experience and culture. 50 million Latinos live in the U.S. and it's estimated that by 2050, one in three Americans will be Hispanic. By sheer numbers alone Latinos will shape the 21st century. What does it take to lead a varied and vibrant people who hail from twenty-six different countries and are a blend of different races? What can leaders of all cultures and ethnicities learn from how Latinos lead? Juana Bordas takes us on a journey to the very heart and soul of Latino leadership. She offers ten principles that guide Latino leaders and features numerous examples of these principles in action. Bordas's first three principles describe personal characteristics and qualities that have traditionally prepared Latinos to lead their communities. Her next two principles touch on common cultural values that unify this diverse people. And finally, she offers five action-oriented principles that animate Latinos' inclusive, community-oriented, socially responsible, and life-affirming approach to leadership. Since nearly six in ten Latinos are millennials or younger, the second edition contains a new chapter that includes the voices and visions of young Latinos and contains an intergenerational model applicable to leadership programs across the country. This edition also includes data from the 2020 census and adds more information on multicultural Latino identities. This unprecedented and wide-ranging book shows that Latino leadership is indeed powerful and distinctive and has lessons that can inform leaders of every background.

This book explores how to be fully cross-cultural and intercultural with research and theory building in educational leadership. It adopts an integrated approach to the examination of common issues across and between cultures and contexts. Each chapter examines an issue or a set of issues that builds on evidence from a minimum of three countries across at least two continents. The data collection methods are consistent for all countries and therefore allow meaningful conclusions to be drawn across the field. All six continents are represented in the book, including both developing and developed countries, to ensure an open dialogue and an innovative approach to lay the foundations for future research.

Though the percentage of Hispanics in universities continues to grow, few Hispanic women/Latinas advance into leadership positions; instead, many are constrained by a glass ceiling. Therefore, the voices and experiences of those that have overcome these barriers in higher education are pivotal stories to be told. Ranging from the perceptions of these women’s journeys to leadership, to an understanding of the barriers they encounter, to the question of their access to the resources they need, each factor is a critical component to understanding Hispanic women/Latinas in the higher education atmosphere. Comprehensive research in this area is needed to explore the themes of identity in terms of racial/ethic identification, social perception, and gender, along with systemic themes on the institutional level regarding the recruitment, retention, and promotion of a diverse higher education administration. Hispanic Women/Latina Leaders Overcoming Barriers in Higher Education explores the recruitment, promotion, retention process, and the barriers and resilience needed for Hispanic women/Latinas in higher education leadership roles. The chapters use data collected via a qualitative, phenomenological research study including open-ended interviews, field notes, biographical questionnaires, and a researcher’s reflective journal. While covering topics surrounding these women’s experiences such as identity themes, self-identification, institutional shortcomings, and valuable support systems, this book is ideally intended for Latina educators, informing legislators, educational officials, and higher education administrators along with practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in institutional equality, female empowerment, and Hispanic women/Latinas’ journey in higher education.