Leadership in the corporate world is often defined by a narrow set of expectations—ones that have historically overlooked the contributions and potential of women, particularly those from Asian backgrounds. While diversity and inclusion initiatives have gained traction, the reality for many female leaders remains a challenge, shaped by cultural expectations, corporate biases, and entrenched perceptions of leadership.
For nearly a decade, Jaslyin Qiyu, Founder of Mad About Marketing Consulting navigated the complexities of senior management, leading large teams and delivering measurable success. Yet, despite her track record, she found herself consistently overlooked for promotions—not because of her performance, but due to how leadership was perceived. Told to be more vocal about her achievements and to conform to a more assertive style, she faced the all-too-familiar struggle of many women in leadership: the expectation to fit into a rigid, traditional model of authority.
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Rather than bending to these norms, she chose a different path. Frustrated by the limitations of corporate culture, she founded Mad About Marketing Consulting, a firm built on the principles of authentic leadership. Her journey reflects the struggles and triumphs of many female leaders who are expected to “code-switch” between professional expectations and cultural values. In a business landscape where confidence is often equated with dominance, she advocates for a more inclusive definition—one that values thoughtful decision-making, collaboration, and diverse communication styles.
We explore the realities of corporate leadership for Asian women. How do cultural expectations shape their leadership approach? Are diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives addressing the root of workplace biases, or are they merely performative? And what practical steps can companies take to foster environments where different leadership styles are valued rather than sidelined?
Through her insights, we challenge the conventional wisdom of what makes an effective leader. As Singapore continues to serve as a hub for multinational corporations, it’s time to rethink leadership models that rely on outdated stereotypes. Success in the modern workplace should not be about who speaks the loudest but about who creates a lasting impact.
This conversation goes beyond highlighting challenges—it’s about redefining leadership in a way that is truly inclusive, sustainable, and effective.
After nearly a decade of feeling stuck in senior roles, you launched Mad About Marketing. What was the turning point that led you to start your own consultancy?
In my last role, I managed an onsite and offshore team of over 20 marketers for the Singapore consumer banking business. While it was a large team, my management style was not “loud and autocratic” but rather focused on collaboration and value from the team. However, for the longest time, I found myself being overlooked for promotions despite the scope of my responsibilities. I was told that I needed to be more vocal about my accomplishments, especially during management meetings.
This feedback came despite significant achievements. During my time at the company, I built the marketing team from the ground up, spearheaded a bank-wide change management initiative to drive digital and mobile adoption, established a collaborative working approach between the marketing and business teams to elevate the perception of marketing among product and sales managers, and consistently exceeded year-on-year digital sales targets. Instead, I was compared to another co-worker who excelled at highlighting their achievements to our stakeholders.
Hence, because I didn’t “show off” my results, the board concluded that my promotion was undeserving. “It’s just the way the organisation works, unfortunately,” I was told. This was when I realised that the corporate world was more focused on how leadership looked, not what it achieved.
I didn’t fit into the predetermined, traditional ideal of what a leader should sound or act like. I realised I could either change myself to fit the so-called ideal, or trust in myself and create an environment where different leadership styles are not just accepted, but valued. That’s why I started Mad About Marketing Consulting – to build the company I wished existed when I was climbing the corporate ladder.
Asian women often have to “code-switch” between corporate expectations and cultural norms. How has this affected your approach to leadership and decision-making?
Singapore is a Southeast Asian country with strong Western influences. It’s also an ideal location for many multinational corporations (MNCs) to set up their APAC headquarters here. In these corporate settings, I was constantly told to speak up more and highlight my “achievements and shine individually”, while my cultural and personal values embraced thoughtful consideration and collective harmony, valuing the contributions of everyone and seeing them as equals. There shouldn’t be an instance where my team members would need to consciously be mindful of that balance at the cost of communicating openly and honestly just because they are of a certain rank or position. Now with my own company, instead of forcing people to code-switch, I prioritise an environment where diverse communication styles are respected. This approach has led to better decision-making because we’re getting authentic perspectives rather than performative ones.
Many companies today talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Do you think these initiatives are effectively addressing the root causes of these biases, or are they more performative?
Despite their good intentions, many DEI projects fail because they prioritise superficial metrics above cultural and mindset change. If companies want to foster more inclusive environments, we should examine the minor biases in our assessment of leadership ability—those considerations are necessary for real transformation. For example, why do we think competence and aggressiveness go hand in hand? Why do we prefer prompt reactions over careful deliberation?
While DEI initiatives ensure that companies are taking steps forward to be more inclusive, the intention and outcome must be impactful enough to kickstart a shifting mindset, starting from the senior leaders. Or else, they’ll turn into checkboxes and temporary feel-good solutions.
What are some common misconceptions about leadership styles that disadvantage Asian women in corporate environments?
Throughout my career, I’ve noticed that there’s a tendency to equate politeness with being passive. Since Asian women born and raised predominantly in their home countries tend to be more diplomatic in their communication, senior leaders view this as lacking conviction or decisiveness. However, simply viewing our approach as “sugarcoating” minimises the thoughtfulness that goes into making teams feel supported rather than attacked. In my experience, choosing tactful words doesn’t mean we’re afraid to make tough decisions.
Another misconception is that being collaborative means being unable to make independent decisions. Our preference for building consensus and considering multiple viewpoints is often seen as being dependent or reliant on others’ opinions rather than inclusive leadership. It also doesn’t mean that we are unable to make the final decision on our own where circumstances call for it.
Lastly, people mistakenly think that Asian women leaders can’t be both respected and liked. We’re expected to choose between being the “tiger boss” or “pushover”, because our natural tendency to build personal connections is perceived as undermining our authority. Leadership isn’t about choosing between effectiveness and empathy – the best leaders demonstrate both.
What practical steps can companies take to create a more inclusive environment for Asian women in leadership?
First, companies should rethink their approaches to evaluating and developing leadership potential. Many leadership development trainings tend to embrace a certain assertive style of leading. Instead of growing a homogenous leadership culture, promotion criteria should check if they are truly measuring leadership impact.
Second, organisations must create safe spaces for different leadership styles. Similar to how our employees have different styles of working in a team, we have various ways of leading a team. In a diverse environment such as Singapore’s, encouraging diversity in management allows for a vibrant work culture that is inclusive and safe for people to lead and learn.
Most importantly, even if companies do take these steps, I think companies need to also realise that diverse leadership styles are not simply about being fair and inclusive, but rather about being effective. Adopting this mindset helps open up conversations about what works best for employee growth, and breeds an impact-focused leadership culture in the long-term.
Looking ahead, what changes do you hope to see in Singapore’s corporate landscape regarding gender and cultural diversity?
I hope to see Singapore’s corporate landscape embrace its unique position as a bridge between practices adopted in the East and West. Instead of defaulting to Western leadership models, we should be open-minded to new approaches that draw on the strengths of different cultural perspectives. Everyone should feel comfortable leading in a way that is authentic and genuine to themselves. Thoughtful leadership is as valued as charismatic leadership, and is seen as a strength to leverage while charismatic leadership is not defined by how flamboyant one is. It is having confidence and conviction in our capabilities, being purposeful in our actions and being empathetic in our communications with others. But beyond representation, I hope to see a fundamental shift in how we define effective leadership. Success shouldn’t be measured by how well someone fits a predetermined mould but by their ability to impact teams, drive lasting results, and create positive change.