CHALLENGES AND EIGHT SECRET STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS OF IRANIAN AMERICAN LEADERS IN THE UNITED STATES
Paper Submitted for consideration 2010 Issue of the Journal of Business & Leadership: Research Practice and Teaching
By
Fereshteh Amin, Ed.D.
Amin Leadership Center
Los Angeles, CA
Ahmad Ahmadian, Ph.D.
Colorado State University-Pueblo
Pueblo, CO
Patricia Diawara, Ph.D.
Pueblo Community College
Pueblo, CO
Abstract
Although Iranian Americans demonstrate exceptional success and make numerous contributions to this country, there is no documented research covering how and why they succeed. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges Iranian American leaders experience and the secret strategies they develop to overcome these challenges. Our study showed that Iranian American leaders face significant work-related, cultural, social, and financial challenges as they try to start a new life in the United States. The strategies they deploy to surmount these difficulties were identified and described as follows: believe in yourself and pursue your dream, be true to yourself and true to others, be committed to your business, don’t give up, see challenges as opportunities, interact and communicate with others, keep learning, and become a bridge between the American and the Iranian culture. By exploring the challenges and success strategies of Iranian American leaders, this study simultaneously fulfills multiple goals: (a) it contributes to the acknowledgement of the contributions of Iranian Americans to the U.S. society and helps to fill the literature gap; (b) it provides American youth of Iranian origin with role models and a sense of respect for their heritage, and encourages the Iranian American community to become more involved in corporate, academic, or political leadership; and (c) it provides American leaders with an opportunity to understand better some of the unique challenges ethnic minority groups face and the factors that contribute to their career success. [Please Download the PDF file to read more]
