When I arrived in the United States, I was excited to be in the land of
That experience led me to my current mission: showing as a mentor and consultant that immigrant success stories matter and helping employees in the organizations I serve learn from them. Still, when I
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When I expressed these concerns to my mentor Calvin Lawrence, he encouraged me to think about the problem differently. "Consider the people who rely on your message," he said. "If you don't speak up, who will? If you don't lead, who will? When Alvin Ailey created his dance company, he did so because nobody else was going to create a company like his. Think about all the dancers who would not have been able to perform if he hadn't taken that step? Think of all the performances that would not have happened?"
Hearing this from Calvin was a great inspiration. I realized there are many people who feel the same way I do. We speak other languages. We have thick accents. We work very hard, yet we still feel like we are not good enough. We compare ourselves to others and that comparison is not fair.
We know that when we open our mouths to speak, we sound different than native English speakers. It's almost always easier to stay quiet, but we cannot make a difference in the world if we do. So today, I have a question for you: Do immigrant success stories still matter? If so, I have a few suggestions. These are solutions that have worked for me and many other immigrants, but they are applicable to everyone, even those born in this country.
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1. Thought leadership
Being a thought leader as an immigrant can be painful at first, but the more you put yourself out there, the more confident and competent you will become. By committing to the practice of sharing my insights on LinkedIn and elsewhere, I gradually developed an audience and became more well known. I 've since been invited to speak at several global events such as SHRM Talent, Women in Tech, HR Week In Lithuania, GSX, DisruptHR and others.
I have also learned that while many organizations restrict social media use by their employees, those companies that embrace employee thought leadership benefit from doing so. LinkedIn research shows that on average employees can leverage 10 times more social media connections than brands can. This means that their employee posts can reach 10 times more people, which is especially important in industries such as fintech, social media and marketing. What's more, companies with liberal social media policies have more confident employees, attract diverse customers and nurture a culture where everybody wants to belong. Profit follows. When employees are visible, the organization is visible as well.
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2. Mentoring
Of course, all thought leaders need people who support them. This is especially true for expats and immigrants. My mentors have taught me that I don't need to be perfect. I just need to be me, and when we speak from our hearts, mistakes do not matter. Mentoring helped open my mind and heart and showed me that when you think more open-mindedly, the opportunities will flow. I've found that when I mentor other immigrants and encourage them to consider opportunities they might have shied away from before, they achieve success much more readily than they would have alone.
Many organizations think about finding perfect solutions for their employees. But believe me, global talent isn't looking for perfection. They're looking for somebody who sounds like them. Somebody who understands what they are going through. International employees often need the support of a mentor to reach their full potential – as team members, thought leaders and change-makers.
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3. Intercultural competence
When we begin to appreciate how our cultural upbringing shapes our views and behaviors, and how others' upbringings also influence their way of being in the world, we become more effective co-workers. Simply put, intercultural competence helps us collaborate better. Immigrant consultants are especially effective in helping us develop this essential capacity.
That's because being an immigrant expands your world, helps you see differences and cultural realities more clearly, and cultivates the ability to adapt to change. Organizations need inclusive and diverse teams without calling it DEI. Cultural intelligence is becoming more strategic and crucial than ever.
The immigrant experience teaches resilience, compassion and courage. If you are going through that experience now, know that you don't have to be alone on that journey. And if you work at an organization whose employees are struggling to adapt and grow in our highly intercultural society, you have resources all around you. Feel free to join my mission to show that immigrant perspectives and voices do matter – and can lead to success for everybody. My name is Solveiga, and I'm here to help you to be comfortable with your voice and story.
