2023
Partner
ASIAN INTERNATIONAL
What a mentor should have told me: Advice to young Asian American leaders on the road to success
Education: LLM, Georgetown University Law Center, with distinction; JD, University of Maryland School of Law, with honors; BA, University of Virginia, with honors Company Name: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Industry: Law Company CEO: Kim Koopersmith Company Headquarters Location: N/A
Here is some of the best advice provided by my mentor: Growing up, many first-generation Asian parents would urge their children to be studious, don’t cause trouble or bring attention to yourself, keep your head down, and let your work speak for itself. Yet in this wonderful melting pot of a culture we call America, this is just not enough if you want to succeed and if you want to lead. Don’t get me wrong: It is still important to be yourself, to embrace all that is a part of you from your parents and your heritage, but it is also important to recognize that with diversity, there is no single dominant culture or one set of unspoken rules that everyone adheres to. Verbal communication thus becomes a necessity.
In short, to be a successful Asian leader in America, we should see and recognize that there is a game to be played, and we must learn to play that game. And we can all play the game well.
Number of Employees: 1,700+ Your Location: Washington, D.C. | Geneva Words you live by: In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. Who is your personal hero? My wife. What book are you reading? Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir What was your first job? Teacher Favorite charity: AAJC – Asian Americans Advancing Justice Interests/Hobbies: Music, food, travel Family: Wonderful wife, two fantastic college-age children
20
2023 Second Quarter
Frankness, honesty and transparency become predominant tools in our communities and in our work environment. People skills are just as important as, and maybe even more important than, being a hard-worker. So, we should learn to communicate well; to manage down AND up; to self-promote, but don’t overdo it; to speak up when you see inequality, but at the same time pick your battles. In short, to be a successful Asian leader in America, we should see and recognize that there is a game to be played, and we must learn to play that game. And we can all play the game well. At this point, I should come clean and say that I had no real mentors during the course of my career, and the advice above is what I now wished someone would have told me early on. So now, I want to be a mentor to young Asians in my workplace. I think it is very important to provide this kind of advice to them, to encourage and help them achieve more success than I ever have had. I believe that this is how I can best support the next generation of Asian leaders in America. I hope this will be one of my legacies.
www.diversityjournal.com
AWARD
Stephen S. Kho