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The Power of Latino Leadership, Second Edition, Revised and Updated: Culture, Inclusion, and Contribution
This updated and expanded edition is the first and only book to offer a leadership model firmly based on the Latino experience and culture.
50 million Latinos live in the U.S. and it's estimated that by 2050, one in three Americans will be Hispanic. By sheer numbers alone Latinos will shape the 21st century. What does it take to lead a varied and vibrant people who hail from twenty-six different countries and are a blend of different races? 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. She offers ten principles that guide Latino leaders and features numerous examples of these principles in action.
Bordas's first three principles describe personal characteristics and qualities that have traditionally prepared Latinos to lead their communities. Her next two principles touch on common cultural values that unify this diverse people. And finally, she offers five action-oriented principles that animate Latinos' inclusive, community-oriented, socially responsible, and life-affirming approach to leadership.
Since nearly six in ten Latinos are millennials or younger, the second edition contains a new chapter that includes the voices and visions of young Latinos and contains an intergenerational model applicable to leadership programs across the country. This edition also includes data from the 2020 census and adds more information on multicultural Latino identities. 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.
50 million Latinos live in the U.S. and it's estimated that by 2050, one in three Americans will be Hispanic. By sheer numbers alone Latinos will shape the 21st century. What does it take to lead a varied and vibrant people who hail from twenty-six different countries and are a blend of different races? 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. She offers ten principles that guide Latino leaders and features numerous examples of these principles in action.
Bordas's first three principles describe personal characteristics and qualities that have traditionally prepared Latinos to lead their communities. Her next two principles touch on common cultural values that unify this diverse people. And finally, she offers five action-oriented principles that animate Latinos' inclusive, community-oriented, socially responsible, and life-affirming approach to leadership.
Since nearly six in ten Latinos are millennials or younger, the second edition contains a new chapter that includes the voices and visions of young Latinos and contains an intergenerational model applicable to leadership programs across the country. This edition also includes data from the 2020 census and adds more information on multicultural Latino identities. 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.
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 28, 2023
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September 13, 2025Preface:
- Today, 1 in 5 people in the US is Latino. Tomorrow? By 2045, 1 in 4 Americans will be Latino.
- "Hispanic": generally refers to people, cultures, or languages originating from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. It's often used to describe people with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean (like Cuba and Puerto Rico), and Central and South America. However, it's important to note that "Hispanic" can be used differently depending on context and individual preference, with some preferring the term "Latino" to describe people from Latin America.
- The power of Latino Leadership is focused on describing the principles and practices of how Latinos lead.
- Latino power is leadership by the many - the thousands of Latino leaders working every day in communities across the country.
- Latino power is rooted in history and tradition - the past is the rich soil that nourishes tomorrow.
- Latino power is now!
- Latino power is our futuro - the promise and potential of youth.
- Latino are diversity - they are a cutural and ethnic group, not a race: Multiple generations => inclusive and intergenerational leadership rooted in the culture's expansive diversity.
=> Latinos leaders leverage the power of inclusion
- Latinos are international and maintain close ties to their 26 nations of origin.
- 1/3 continental US was historically part of Mexico
- Sustained by a culture of celebration, faith, and hope, Latino power is destiny.
=> Based on their people-centered values, inclusiveness and bienvenido (welcoming) spirit, Latino leaders are building a diverse and humanistic society.
- Bienvenido - A model for an Inclusive America
- Because Latinos are a multicultural people and are themselves the product of cultural fusion, there is an openness, acceptance and love of diversity.
- Latino leadership can revitalize the American dream and bring us home to our founding values.
- The power of Latino leadership will clarify and claim Latino advancement as the next positive way of American evolution.
=> A leadership model uniquely suited to the multicultural.
Introduction: Leading Latino Style
- Latinos can take pride in the immense contributions our leaders have made
- Non-Latinos can become more culturally adaptive and start using the principles in this book to lead with a more inclusive and generous spirit.
- The power of Latino Leadership describes how Latinos will have a similar impact in this century and validates the leadership practices that have held Latinos together through the tribulations of being conquered, colonized and deemed a minority.
=> Their resilience, contributions, and cultural vibrancy are a testament to the wisdom and perseverance of their leaders.
Part 1: La Historia: Latino Fusion and Hybrid Vigor
- Passing city after city named in the Spanish tradition for patron saints (San Diego, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, San Jose,...)
Mucho Gusto: An introduction to Latino Origins
- The story of Hispanic: origins begins centuries before the founding of the US.
- Spain - considered the motherland of Hispanics - etched a unique landscape that blended many races, cultures, and nations.
- Manifest Destiny - proposed that Latinos and other people of color had to learn the superior ways of White Civilization.
Chapter 1: Ancient Roots and Mestizo Ancestry
- A people traditionally known in Central and South America as Mestizos, the offspring of the Indigenous people of the Americas and Europeans, primarily the Spanish.
- The Mestizo experience is a precursor to the Latino culture and the bedrock of its inherent diversity
- Looking at the mixing of culture and races in Spanish history will shed light on why the mestizaje occured in this hemisphere.
The Spanish are the Mestizos of Europe
- The term "Latino" comes from Latin, the language spoken in the Roman Empire (studied in the Catholic high school). The major Latin-based languages are Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian.
- Latins also refers to Latin America.
- The melding of cultures was a trademark of Roman occupation and would carry over when the Spanish came to Western Hemisphere in 1942. This tendency to meld cultures is still integral to Latinos today.
The Prophesy and the Promise
- When Hernan Cortes set foot on the expansive land that is now Mexico, Tenochtilan, which today is Mexico City, was larger than any city in Europe, with more inhabitants than London or Selille.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
- The most influential and prophetic spiritual voice of the Americas and a revered religious symbol of Indigenous people.
- The Catholic Church always referred to Mary - the mother of Jesus - as a virgin. To the Indians, their spiritual mother was of the earth, the giver of life, and had children.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe sympolizes the integration of the indigenous faith with the Catholic Church; this would be the spiritual fount from which the cultural mixing would flow.
The Mothers of the Mestizo Race
- The Spanish commonly used Indigenous women as concubines or as common-law wives.
- Our Lady of Guadaluple's message was also for all of us who live in these times, because she said: "I am truly your merciful mother, yours and all the habitants of this land"
=> She appears as a woman of mixed race, the face of the future.
=> GUADALUPE IS NOT JUST THE MOTHER OF INDIGENOUS MESTIZOS BUT ALSO THE MOTHER OF DIVERSITY - OF THE EUROPEAN AND OTHER IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE PART OF THIS LAND.
The Birth of la Raza
- The term la Raza can be best translated as "the new Latino people of the new world" - a new family composed of the original inhabitants of the Americas and all the immigrants from throughout the world who since the time of Columbus have come to the new world in search of a new creation.
CHAPTER 2: THE LATINO LEGACY IN THE UNITED STATES
- The war with Mexico in 1848 and the annexation of the Southwest territories shaped the second phase of Hispanic history in the United States.
=> Mexicans became colonized people in their own lands.
=> Leadership as social activism is grounded in this tale of conquest, land confiscation, and colonization.
- Spanish was the first European language spoken in this hemisphere, the primary language in the Hispanic South and Southwest, which is today almost half of the continental United States.
- The history established a tradition of activist-oriented leadership with community organizing at its core. Latino leaders became a voice for people who lived in the margins.
Manifest destiny: the US should extend democracy to coveted parts of the hemisphere.
- Manifest destiny rationalized the quest for expansion land, wealth acquisition and the domination of other races.
- Manifest destiny established the foundation for many of the discriminatory practices that created an unequal, racist society.
=> One of the most distasteful tenets of Manifest Destiny was the idea of the "White man's burden".
- By 2045, Hispanics will make up at least 1/4 population. Latino destino will encompass a demographic and cultural revolution that will alter America's complexion from white to mocha.
- Latino destiny will infuse hybrid vigor into the American spirit - to stir salsa into the American melting pot.
The latino explosion: In this global age, Latinos are connected by language, culture, and kinship to twenty-six countries.
A Latino cultural Infusion: Mexican food is now America's favorite cuisine. Tortilla sales are outpacing sales of bread. In the morning, people wake up and smell the cafe-a renowned Latino tradition.
PART II: PREPARING TO LEAD: A LATINO PERSPECTIVE
3 concepts: personalismo, conciencia and destino.
+ Personalismo: the inner work leaders must do to become the kind of person that people will follow. It places high value on good character.
+ Conciencia is conscious awareness, the mechanism by which a leader stays consistent and connected to her inner self, personal motivation and culture.
+ Destino speaks to an even deeper understanding of one's unique calling or life's work.
=> A passport for young generations would respect and follow.
PERSONALISMO: a similar concept in Latino culture - speaks to a leader's character, reputation and contributions. Personalismo places value on the AUTHENTIC SELF and the preparation to lead.
=> Firstly, For Latinos, this implies having cultural integrity and staying connected to one's community.
=> Secondly, personalismo dictates that every person should be treated in a respectful and courteous manner => This strengthens relationships, recognizes everyone can contribute, and builds leadership by the many - a principle of Latino leadership we will delve into.
CONCIENCIA - reflects a leader's clarity and congruence, an awareness or consciousness of personal motivation. Leaders must understand how this has affected them personally and the Latino community as a collective.
DESTINO - implies that everyone was born for a distinct reason at a precise time in history and has a unique life path.
=> Unfolding one's destino is an ongoing, organic process that evolves as a person grows, matures and cultivates conciencia.
CHAPTER 3: PERSONALISMO: THE CHARACTER OF THE LEADER
1. A leader is an authentic person who fosters consistency and dependability.
2. Relationships are fashioned in a familial manner
3. Leader has genuine feelings for people, listens to them, and treats them with respect and courtesy.
4. Leader is a man of his word (emphasizes that a person will do what they say they are going to do). Actions align with words, which fosters congruence and engenders trust.
The personalismo of the leader:
- Leadership is evolving into a collaborative and participatory form in which people, relationships and cooperation are central.
- Personalismo is the great equalizer driving a shared leadership process => secures the relational aspects of leadership
Personalism builds relationships
- Personalismo is the unconditional recognition of the essential value of every individual
=> It springs from the culture's humanistic values.
- 4 qualities of personalism:
1. respect and regard for the individual
2. sharing one's background and personal experiences
3. building personal relationships
4. creating a "cultural bond" with people
=> these qualities facilitate people's identification with the leader and make it easier to follow and emulate him.
- Latinos come from intact communities where people feel like they belong; may have similar backgrounds, values, and experiences, and share a collective identity and history.
Personalismo promotes confianza (trust)
- Traditionally, trust (confianza) was the basis for making agreements and conducting business. We don't do business with people we don't know - establishing a personal relationship always precedes any kind of transaction (Carlos Orta)
Personalism as a leadership practice
- By establishing meaningful relationships, personalismo bolsters community and belonging.
=> Personalismo can lay the groundwork for more meaningful and authentic relationship as well as a renewed sense of community
- Because Latino leadership is community based, where leaders motivate and encourage people to work with, personalismo and trust are indispensable.
CHAPTER 4: CONCIENCIA - KNOWING ONESELF AND CULTIVATING PERSONAL AWARENESS
- Conciencia (nhận thức) is the connection the leader has with their inner core - the reliable, consistent self that provides direction and guidance. Conciencia is the mechanism for the leaders's character formation and personal development.
=> To cultivate conciencia, leaders must also uncover any personality flaws or desires that might get in the way.
=> Conciencia reflects a leader's personal clarity and fosters congruence.
Conciencia rests on cultural identity
- For many Latinos, becoming culturally secure requires resolving the internalized effects of discrimination and exclusion that result from growing up Brown.
- While self-awareness is an essential part of leadership preperation for all people, for Latinos it includes integrating one's cultural identity and knowing one's roots and family heritage.
Resolving the barriers of exclusion
- Because of cultural domination, success for Latinos meant cloning the behavior and thinking patterns that White society taught in schools and other institutions.
- "Pedagogy of the oppressed" - a process by which Latinos and other "minorities" internalize the society's negative messages and beliefs about their people and come to believe that these messages and beliefs are true.
=> Conciencia requires a clear awareness of how exclusion affects Latinos both individually and collectively.
From conciencia to Action
- "The leader has to build his self-confidence. You have to believe in yourself first. You have to convince yourself you can do it before you can convince others". (Raul Yzaguirre)
- Concience must be a collective process because otherwise a person keeps internalizing, believing that he is the only one with the problem or even that these limitations are inherent in Latinos as a whole.
- Latino leadership programs must also teach the skills that make people successful in the dominant culture.
Conciencia is other centered
- There is this basic value that whatever you do, you do for the community and the family. It is important to do well, but because it will enable others to do well. (Anna Escobedo Cabral)
Chapter 5: Destino: Personal and Collective Purpose
- Today, 1 in 5 people in the US is Latino. Tomorrow? By 2045, 1 in 4 Americans will be Latino.
- "Hispanic": generally refers to people, cultures, or languages originating from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. It's often used to describe people with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean (like Cuba and Puerto Rico), and Central and South America. However, it's important to note that "Hispanic" can be used differently depending on context and individual preference, with some preferring the term "Latino" to describe people from Latin America.
- The power of Latino Leadership is focused on describing the principles and practices of how Latinos lead.
- Latino power is leadership by the many - the thousands of Latino leaders working every day in communities across the country.
- Latino power is rooted in history and tradition - the past is the rich soil that nourishes tomorrow.
- Latino power is now!
- Latino power is our futuro - the promise and potential of youth.
- Latino are diversity - they are a cutural and ethnic group, not a race: Multiple generations => inclusive and intergenerational leadership rooted in the culture's expansive diversity.
=> Latinos leaders leverage the power of inclusion
- Latinos are international and maintain close ties to their 26 nations of origin.
- 1/3 continental US was historically part of Mexico
- Sustained by a culture of celebration, faith, and hope, Latino power is destiny.
=> Based on their people-centered values, inclusiveness and bienvenido (welcoming) spirit, Latino leaders are building a diverse and humanistic society.
- Bienvenido - A model for an Inclusive America
- Because Latinos are a multicultural people and are themselves the product of cultural fusion, there is an openness, acceptance and love of diversity.
- Latino leadership can revitalize the American dream and bring us home to our founding values.
- The power of Latino leadership will clarify and claim Latino advancement as the next positive way of American evolution.
=> A leadership model uniquely suited to the multicultural.
Introduction: Leading Latino Style
- Latinos can take pride in the immense contributions our leaders have made
- Non-Latinos can become more culturally adaptive and start using the principles in this book to lead with a more inclusive and generous spirit.
- The power of Latino Leadership describes how Latinos will have a similar impact in this century and validates the leadership practices that have held Latinos together through the tribulations of being conquered, colonized and deemed a minority.
=> Their resilience, contributions, and cultural vibrancy are a testament to the wisdom and perseverance of their leaders.
Part 1: La Historia: Latino Fusion and Hybrid Vigor
- Passing city after city named in the Spanish tradition for patron saints (San Diego, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, San Jose,...)
Mucho Gusto: An introduction to Latino Origins
- The story of Hispanic: origins begins centuries before the founding of the US.
- Spain - considered the motherland of Hispanics - etched a unique landscape that blended many races, cultures, and nations.
- Manifest Destiny - proposed that Latinos and other people of color had to learn the superior ways of White Civilization.
Chapter 1: Ancient Roots and Mestizo Ancestry
- A people traditionally known in Central and South America as Mestizos, the offspring of the Indigenous people of the Americas and Europeans, primarily the Spanish.
- The Mestizo experience is a precursor to the Latino culture and the bedrock of its inherent diversity
- Looking at the mixing of culture and races in Spanish history will shed light on why the mestizaje occured in this hemisphere.
The Spanish are the Mestizos of Europe
- The term "Latino" comes from Latin, the language spoken in the Roman Empire (studied in the Catholic high school). The major Latin-based languages are Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian.
- Latins also refers to Latin America.
- The melding of cultures was a trademark of Roman occupation and would carry over when the Spanish came to Western Hemisphere in 1942. This tendency to meld cultures is still integral to Latinos today.
The Prophesy and the Promise
- When Hernan Cortes set foot on the expansive land that is now Mexico, Tenochtilan, which today is Mexico City, was larger than any city in Europe, with more inhabitants than London or Selille.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
- The most influential and prophetic spiritual voice of the Americas and a revered religious symbol of Indigenous people.
- The Catholic Church always referred to Mary - the mother of Jesus - as a virgin. To the Indians, their spiritual mother was of the earth, the giver of life, and had children.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe sympolizes the integration of the indigenous faith with the Catholic Church; this would be the spiritual fount from which the cultural mixing would flow.
The Mothers of the Mestizo Race
- The Spanish commonly used Indigenous women as concubines or as common-law wives.
- Our Lady of Guadaluple's message was also for all of us who live in these times, because she said: "I am truly your merciful mother, yours and all the habitants of this land"
=> She appears as a woman of mixed race, the face of the future.
=> GUADALUPE IS NOT JUST THE MOTHER OF INDIGENOUS MESTIZOS BUT ALSO THE MOTHER OF DIVERSITY - OF THE EUROPEAN AND OTHER IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE PART OF THIS LAND.
The Birth of la Raza
- The term la Raza can be best translated as "the new Latino people of the new world" - a new family composed of the original inhabitants of the Americas and all the immigrants from throughout the world who since the time of Columbus have come to the new world in search of a new creation.
CHAPTER 2: THE LATINO LEGACY IN THE UNITED STATES
- The war with Mexico in 1848 and the annexation of the Southwest territories shaped the second phase of Hispanic history in the United States.
=> Mexicans became colonized people in their own lands.
=> Leadership as social activism is grounded in this tale of conquest, land confiscation, and colonization.
- Spanish was the first European language spoken in this hemisphere, the primary language in the Hispanic South and Southwest, which is today almost half of the continental United States.
- The history established a tradition of activist-oriented leadership with community organizing at its core. Latino leaders became a voice for people who lived in the margins.
Manifest destiny: the US should extend democracy to coveted parts of the hemisphere.
- Manifest destiny rationalized the quest for expansion land, wealth acquisition and the domination of other races.
- Manifest destiny established the foundation for many of the discriminatory practices that created an unequal, racist society.
=> One of the most distasteful tenets of Manifest Destiny was the idea of the "White man's burden".
- By 2045, Hispanics will make up at least 1/4 population. Latino destino will encompass a demographic and cultural revolution that will alter America's complexion from white to mocha.
- Latino destiny will infuse hybrid vigor into the American spirit - to stir salsa into the American melting pot.
The latino explosion: In this global age, Latinos are connected by language, culture, and kinship to twenty-six countries.
A Latino cultural Infusion: Mexican food is now America's favorite cuisine. Tortilla sales are outpacing sales of bread. In the morning, people wake up and smell the cafe-a renowned Latino tradition.
PART II: PREPARING TO LEAD: A LATINO PERSPECTIVE
3 concepts: personalismo, conciencia and destino.
+ Personalismo: the inner work leaders must do to become the kind of person that people will follow. It places high value on good character.
+ Conciencia is conscious awareness, the mechanism by which a leader stays consistent and connected to her inner self, personal motivation and culture.
+ Destino speaks to an even deeper understanding of one's unique calling or life's work.
=> A passport for young generations would respect and follow.
PERSONALISMO: a similar concept in Latino culture - speaks to a leader's character, reputation and contributions. Personalismo places value on the AUTHENTIC SELF and the preparation to lead.
=> Firstly, For Latinos, this implies having cultural integrity and staying connected to one's community.
=> Secondly, personalismo dictates that every person should be treated in a respectful and courteous manner => This strengthens relationships, recognizes everyone can contribute, and builds leadership by the many - a principle of Latino leadership we will delve into.
CONCIENCIA - reflects a leader's clarity and congruence, an awareness or consciousness of personal motivation. Leaders must understand how this has affected them personally and the Latino community as a collective.
DESTINO - implies that everyone was born for a distinct reason at a precise time in history and has a unique life path.
=> Unfolding one's destino is an ongoing, organic process that evolves as a person grows, matures and cultivates conciencia.
CHAPTER 3: PERSONALISMO: THE CHARACTER OF THE LEADER
1. A leader is an authentic person who fosters consistency and dependability.
2. Relationships are fashioned in a familial manner
3. Leader has genuine feelings for people, listens to them, and treats them with respect and courtesy.
4. Leader is a man of his word (emphasizes that a person will do what they say they are going to do). Actions align with words, which fosters congruence and engenders trust.
The personalismo of the leader:
- Leadership is evolving into a collaborative and participatory form in which people, relationships and cooperation are central.
- Personalismo is the great equalizer driving a shared leadership process => secures the relational aspects of leadership
Personalism builds relationships
- Personalismo is the unconditional recognition of the essential value of every individual
=> It springs from the culture's humanistic values.
- 4 qualities of personalism:
1. respect and regard for the individual
2. sharing one's background and personal experiences
3. building personal relationships
4. creating a "cultural bond" with people
=> these qualities facilitate people's identification with the leader and make it easier to follow and emulate him.
- Latinos come from intact communities where people feel like they belong; may have similar backgrounds, values, and experiences, and share a collective identity and history.
Personalismo promotes confianza (trust)
- Traditionally, trust (confianza) was the basis for making agreements and conducting business. We don't do business with people we don't know - establishing a personal relationship always precedes any kind of transaction (Carlos Orta)
Personalism as a leadership practice
- By establishing meaningful relationships, personalismo bolsters community and belonging.
=> Personalismo can lay the groundwork for more meaningful and authentic relationship as well as a renewed sense of community
- Because Latino leadership is community based, where leaders motivate and encourage people to work with, personalismo and trust are indispensable.
CHAPTER 4: CONCIENCIA - KNOWING ONESELF AND CULTIVATING PERSONAL AWARENESS
- Conciencia (nhận thức) is the connection the leader has with their inner core - the reliable, consistent self that provides direction and guidance. Conciencia is the mechanism for the leaders's character formation and personal development.
=> To cultivate conciencia, leaders must also uncover any personality flaws or desires that might get in the way.
=> Conciencia reflects a leader's personal clarity and fosters congruence.
Conciencia rests on cultural identity
- For many Latinos, becoming culturally secure requires resolving the internalized effects of discrimination and exclusion that result from growing up Brown.
- While self-awareness is an essential part of leadership preperation for all people, for Latinos it includes integrating one's cultural identity and knowing one's roots and family heritage.
Resolving the barriers of exclusion
- Because of cultural domination, success for Latinos meant cloning the behavior and thinking patterns that White society taught in schools and other institutions.
- "Pedagogy of the oppressed" - a process by which Latinos and other "minorities" internalize the society's negative messages and beliefs about their people and come to believe that these messages and beliefs are true.
=> Conciencia requires a clear awareness of how exclusion affects Latinos both individually and collectively.
From conciencia to Action
- "The leader has to build his self-confidence. You have to believe in yourself first. You have to convince yourself you can do it before you can convince others". (Raul Yzaguirre)
- Concience must be a collective process because otherwise a person keeps internalizing, believing that he is the only one with the problem or even that these limitations are inherent in Latinos as a whole.
- Latino leadership programs must also teach the skills that make people successful in the dominant culture.
Conciencia is other centered
- There is this basic value that whatever you do, you do for the community and the family. It is important to do well, but because it will enable others to do well. (Anna Escobedo Cabral)
Chapter 5: Destino: Personal and Collective Purpose
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