Servant-Leadership as a Pathway to Success for Foreign-Born Leaders

Immigrants have consistently been recognized as significant contributors to the United States economy, science, and innovation (Vandor and Franke, 2016). However, there remains a noticeable gap in the literature regarding the experiences and leadership development process of foreign-born leaders (FBLs). This article addresses this gap by highlighting the positive contributions of FBLs while noting the relatively small pool of effective FBLs in comparison to the large immigrant population in the United States, suggesting substantial untapped potential. The author explores common challenges faced by FBLs and emphasizes that overcoming these obstacles is integral to FBLs’ leadership development journey. The central argument of the article posits that understanding and attributing meaning to these struggles is essential for overcoming them and that servant-leadership provides a viable pathway to success for FBLs. While the onus of becoming effective leaders primarily lies with the FBLs themselves, the article concludes by offering examples for how supervisors can create a supportive environment conducive to FBLs’ growth. The exploration of FBLs’ experiences and their leadership development is particularly important given the current talent shortage, a condition expected to persist well into the late 2030s and beyond (Bremen, 2023). By redirecting attention and investing in this neglected group, there is potential to maximize their collective impact and contributions. FBLs can become a valuable part of the solution to the talent shortage issue.