The Power of Latino Leadership

By Juana Bordas

A Hispanic cultural approach to inclusive, community-centered leadership

“Latinos have advanced because of the activist tradition of our leaders who organized people to address social injustice. As the Latino community comes into its power, our future leaders can learn from The Power of Latino Leadership as they create their own history. -Si Se Puede-Yes We Can’ is a call to action. This book captures this spirit.”
-Dolores Huerta, President, Dolores Huerta Foundation; cofounder, United Farm Workers; and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

“The Power of Latino Leadership is a must-read for Latinos who want to integrate their history and culture into their future contributions, whether just starting on their leadership journey or already recognized leaders.”
-Carlos F. Orta, President and CEO, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility

With a population of over 50 million and numbers that increased by 43 percent in the last decade, Latinos represent the largest minority group in the United States. Estimates indicate that by 2050, a third of the U.S. will identify as Hispanic.

What does it take then, to lead a varied and vibrant people who hail from twenty-two different countries? And what can leaders of all cultures and ethnicities learn from how Latinos lead?

Juana Bordas takes us on a journey to the very heart and soul of Latino leadership. Based on her personal experience as a longtime Latina leader, she offers ten guiding principles for Latino leaders and numerous examples for how these principles can be implemented practically.

Bordas begins with a concise history of the Latino people, from the Old World to the New, documenting how extraordinarily far Latinos have come-in every sense. Since Latino leadership ultimately stems more from who you are as a person than from what official title you hold, Bordas’s first three principles describe personal characteristics and qualities that have traditionally prepared Latinos to lead their communities. Culture is the soil from which Latino leadership grows, so her next two principles touch on common cultural values that unify this diverse people. And finally, she brings it all together, offering five action-oriented principles that animate Latinos’ inclusive, community-oriented, socially responsible, and life-affirming approach to leadership.

Bordas includes the voices and experiences of distinguished Latino leaders, vivid dichos (traditional sayings) that illustrate aspects of Latino culture, and even notes on how the Spanish language itself influences and reflects the Latino worldview. This unprecedented and wide-ranging book shows that Latino leadership is indeed powerful and distinctive and has lessons that can inform leaders of every background.

Juana Bordas is President of Mestiza Leadership International - a company that focuses on leadership, diversity, and organizational change. A former faculty member for the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL, she taught in the Leadership Development Program (LDP) - the most highly utilized executive program in the world. In 1977 she was a founder of Denver, Colorado’s Mi Casa Women’s Center and served as executive director until 1986. Today, Mi Casa is recognized as a national model for women’s empowerment. A dynamic national speaker and trainer, Juana weaves leadership, diversity, and community building into a multicultural tapestry.

Publication date: May 2013, $19.95, paperback, 288 pages, 6 1/8" x 9 1/4", ISBN 978-1-60994-887-0
PDF ebook, ISBN 978-1-60994-888-7