Cultural expectations vs personal ambition: Finding your voice as an Asian leader

EARLY in my career, I found myself seated at a long, polished boardroom table in Tokyo, surrounded by elderly men in dark suits. The atmosphere was formal, the hierarchy unmistakable.

I was there to lead the discussion, representing the regional office in Singapore, but the expectation in the room was clear – they were waiting for someone else. I had been asked several times that morning: “Serene-san, where is your boss Ong-san?”

I knew what they were thinking: Surely, the “boss” was a much older man from the regional headquarters; someone who would come with a small army of assistants to take notes and carry his bags.