Episode 17:
Uncapping Leadership: Authoring Your Own Leadership Story as an AANHPI Community Member
with Alex Cena, Chief Programs Officer, LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
What would change if you stopped trying to fix yourself - and started authoring your leadership instead?
AANHPI professionals are highly represented in the workforce, yet remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles. In this episode, Alex Cena, Chief Program Officer at LEAP, helps us name the real issue: this isn’t a talent gap – it’s a leadership archetype problem, amongst other structural issues. Together, Alex unpacks the invisible tax of fitting in, the cost of self-erasure, and how cultural values like humility and hard work are often misread in Western workplaces. Most importantly, we explore how to stop trying to fix ourselves and start authoring a version of leadership that keeps our values and expands what power can look like.
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“When leadership has been narrowly defined, authorship becomes an act of courage.”
Alex Cena
What you learn in this episode:
- Why AANHPI underrepresentation in leadership isn’t a talent gap, but a systems and archetype gap.
- How cultural values like humility and hard work can be misread in Western workplaces.
- The hidden cost of self-erasure, code-switching, and performing instead of leading.
- Why leadership is a human experience rooted in connection, not just outcomes or titles.
- How to stop fixing yourself and start authoring your own version of leadership.
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About the Guest
Alex Cena is the Chief Programs Officer at LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), where he leads the development and implementation of leadership programs serving AANHPI professionals across nonprofit, corporate, and higher education sectors nationwide. As a leader with a background in higher education, student affairs, and nonprofit leadership, Alex brings over a decade of experience designing culturally responsive leadership development initiatives.
His work centers on empowering leaders to keep their values while expanding their skills, challenging outdated leadership archetypes, and building pathways for AANHPI professionals to lead without self-erasure. Alex is passionate about cultivating community, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating spaces where leaders can show up fully and authentically.
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About the Organization
LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to developing strong, culturally grounded leaders within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. For more than 40 years, LEAP has provided leadership training, professional development programs, and community-building initiatives that empower individuals across corporate, nonprofit, government, and higher education sectors.
At the heart of LEAP’s philosophy is a simple but powerful belief: leaders should not have to abandon their cultural values to succeed. Through signature programs, executive coaching, and cross-sector partnerships, LEAP helps participants strengthen their leadership skills while honoring the lived experiences and identities that shape them.
By cultivating confident, connected, and values-driven leaders, LEAP works to expand representation, influence, and impact for AANHPI communities nationwide.
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Resources
Gee, G. C., & Peck, D. (2018, May 31). Asian Americans are the least likely group in the U.S. to be promoted to management. Harvard Business Review. Access here.
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