What is YOUR Super Power?
By Marisa Rivera
Ialways remind women
that they don’t need to
apologize for being
strong, smart, direct, beautiful,
and Latina. All the qualities
¡Las Jefas!
that make us unique, marketable,
innovative and cutting edge. Our
gender, race, culture, language and
ethnicity intersect with our acquired
knowledge to shape the opportunities
and challenges we face at work.
Acknowledging and addressing this
reality is key to creating inclusive
workplaces for Latinas. For me, being
Latina, multi-lingual, smart, strong,
bold, courageous and having learned
how to be resilient and have good
work ethics are all skills passed on by
my ancestors and are all part of my
super powers.
In order to be successful, in
today’s global market, it is critical
to set yourself apart from others,
establishing yourself as an expert on a
field, demonstrating your talents and
establishing yourself as the best
candidate for any job or challenge at
work is imperative.
The innate talents that as Latinas
we bring to the table make us
excellent executives, administrators,
leaders and superb entrepreneurs.
Many of us went to school to learn
academic, technical and business
Marisa Rivera.
skills, but compounded with our
cultural heritage that has taught us to
be resilient, team players, creative, multi-lingual, empathetic, loyal and able to
think outside of the box, valuing diversity, family, traditions and strong work ethics
provide us with what I like to call our built-in “Super Powers”.
I am not surprised by knowing that Latinas are the fastest growing segment
in entrepreneurship in this country. According to research by the Hispanic
Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), “Latinas represent less than 1
percent of executives in the United States, yet these women control 86 percent
of the decision-making in Latinx households, make up the fastest-growing
segment of the entrepreneurial sector, and are leading the ambicultural
movement.”
But a study done by CTI - Latinos at Work: Unleashing the Power of
Culture, found that Latino professionals are checking their heritage at the door.
According to the study, the vast majority of Latinos repress certain aspects of their
Marisa Rivera is
president of
Mpowerment Works,
a motivational
speaker, executive
coach and
leadership and
empowerment
consultant. Marisa@
MpowermentWorks.
com.
personas in the workplace and those
who expend a great deal of energy
doing so are also more likely to feel
they are being promoted quicker.
To me, checking out their “Super
Powers” at the door is a dis-service
to themselves and to the companies
they work for. When Latinos repress
who they are, companies lose out on
their unique insights and, as a result,
may fail to tap into the fastest
growing market.
Corporate America and the
business sector are missing out if
they are not focusing on one of the
strongest assets they’ve got –
Latinas/os. As consumers and as
employees, Latinas are the missing
link, they are a rare and untapped
market that should not be ignored.
They should maximize by utilizing the
innate powers Latinas have. Latinas in the U.S. come with some natural built-in
abilities that translate into important business skills in today’s global economy.
One of the biggest challenges that Latinas/os have, is ensuring that their
voices and ideas are being heard and represented. Our voices will only be heard
when we have an adequate representation of Latinx in senior-level positions.
For us Latinas, we must demand our place in Corporate America as we
become an instrument of economic growth, using our Super Powers. We must
never forget that our culture, language and diversity are a major source of
strength, pride, courage and business advantage - Let’s maximize our Super
Powers!
LS
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56 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 25, No. 4, 2019
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