Belonging, Leadership, and Breaking Barriers: Dr. Janine Lee's Journey as a Global Learning Leader
"What does it take to build a thriving career when you're navigating multiple intersectional identities?"
Dr. Janine Lee knows firsthand. As the Global Head of Learning at a Fortune 500 tech company, Dr. Lee has spent nearly 20 years breaking barriers while building an impressive multifaceted career. In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality, she shares how being an American-born Chinese woman from Oakland shaped her leadership journey and why she believes your intersectional identity can become your greatest professional strength.
The Power of Intersectional Identity
Dr. Lee opens up about the unique challenges of being "American-born Chinese" – constantly fielding the question "Where are you really from?" despite being born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up in Oakland added another layer, requiring her to code-switch between different social circles and navigate assumptions about her background.
Her advice? "Write down any of the biases or assumptions that come up when they think about your intersectionality and think about how you can use them as strengths." Dr. Lee demonstrates this by intentionally speaking up more to combat stereotypes about quiet Asian women, while leveraging her natural listening skills as leadership advantages.
A Framework for Career Success
Dr. Lee's approach to career development centers on three key elements:
Find Your North Star: Create a personal mission statement and vision that guides all decisions. Dr. Lee's mission – "to inspire others to reach their full potential" – shows up in everything from her corporate role to her coaching practice.
Focus on What, How, and Who: Master your skills (what), develop your unique delivery style (how), and build strong networks (who). This combination creates what Dr. Lee calls an "unstoppable" career foundation.
Embrace Non-Linear Paths: Dr. Lee successfully juggles corporate leadership, executive coaching, teaching at UC Berkeley, speaking, and writing. Her secret? Aligning everything under the same mission umbrella.
The Continuous Learning Advantage
Dr. Lee earned both her MBA and doctorate while working full-time, often maintaining 14-15 hour days. Her groundbreaking dissertation on workplace belonging for Women of Color in Tech was featured in Harvard Business Review. Her message is clear: continuous learning isn't just about credentials – it's about combating career stagnation and staying aligned with your evolving goals.
About Dr. Janine Lee
Dr. Lee holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and an EdD from USC. She's a certified executive coach, LinkedIn Top Voice, and author of "Unstoppable: Rise of Female Global Leaders." Her course on "Leading DEI Change" is featured on LinkedIn Learning, and she's taught over 200 MBA students from 35+ countries.
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