This book is a result of a series of interviews with Latino/Latinx leaders from Frank's first book, Building the Latino Future, who now expand on the evolution of Latino digital intelligence. We will show some of the key challenges facing the Latino community, and the common thread running through each of them, in elements based on seven principles—Decision Making, Intelligence, Game Plan, Inclusion, Technology, Abundance, and Leverage (DIGITAL).

Each letter of the DIGITAL Model represents what a great leader needs to possess, especially in the age of the digital evolution. The seven elements that make up the acronym DIGITAL appear as chapters in the book; but, as we are taking a new and innovated approach, they are considered evolution sections, as the purpose of this book is to see our contributions through an evolutionary process.

Combined strengths can be used as guidelines, and used to illustrate each element that leads the Latino community through evolutionary growth, but it also shows the common challenges Latinos face on their academic and professional journey. However, some of the practices and strategies to succeed have been through participation in a digital economy. It is with their skills with personal, transactional, and user‐generated data that these individuals have excelled in corporate platforms and in diverse sectors. Also, it is important to share, a core element for growth in the venture capital sector, which is why we add Digital Citizenship for the “Evolution of Latino Digital Intelligence.”

An effective Latino digital leader will be aware of business goals, such as in the industries covered in this book, and will learn from corporate America, venture capital, the nonprofit sector, academia, media, the arts, the technology sector. Latinx leaders under 30 know their job responsibilities support the continued evolution. The following describes the framework for DIGITAL.

DECISION MAKING: LATINOS AT THE TABLE – CHAPTER 1

We will share stories from corporate America to the boardroom. If Latinos are not invited to the table, we as a community will find ways to get to the table and build and create our own table.

Although these sections are labeled chapters, they are better known as evolution sections. This first evolution can be dealt with both organizationally and at an individual level; thus, you will read about these executives developing leadership skills. Great leaders must develop the ability to become great decision‐makers, possess emotional intelligence, be able to handle uncertainty and become more tenacious, and through these experiences will naturally transform to gain intuition and provide honesty and integrity at the boardroom table. They will provide due diligence research and include the stories of the great Latino and Latina executives. All of these folks possess these traits:

• Confidence
• Inspire others with authenticity
• Commitment and passion for their craft
• Good communicator, with full transparency
• Decision‐making capabilities, at high‐pressure levels

INTELLIGENCE: INTELLIGENCE WILL PUSH YOU THROUGH – CHAPTER 2

In this second evolution stage, we share the stories of influential Latinos and Latinas in the healthcare industry, from physicians to hospital executives. During the times of the pandemic and postpandemic, an evolutionary set of traits that will propel us into the future includes levels of intelligence and emotional connection that will make every person feel empowered. The levels that are key are empathy, motivation, and authentic self.

All physicians and digital leaders practice these traits of intelligence to evolve in the twenty‐first century and beyond.

The forms of evolution in DIGITAL Intelligence are:

• Empathy: Physicians practice body language to show forms of understanding and authenticity. Provide signs to empower others. For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need to be heard.
• Self‐awareness is another key element to strengthen leadership. Through these stories, you will gain insight and learn about humility.

GAME PLAN: THE GAME PLAN IS THE ACTION – CHAPTER 3

Think about your final goal. It might be a project you are working on, or a long‐term vision that will continue to develop and evolve. In this section, interviewees are rising stars under 30. What is it you and your team are playing for? Picture it clearly in your mind. Most sports champions will tell you that the more clearly you envision success, the more likely it is to happen. There are really two components to your game plan.

A game plan is also known as how you define your culture. For example, currently many companies are incorporating Latinx as part of their company culture, and in this section interviewees under the age of 30 have been selected to share their leadership traits with Gen Z and beyond. Therefore, as a leader you first need to understand and appreciate your role, and how your influence impacts the company culture. However, it is imperative that guidance and mentoring are established early on as part of one's game plan.

As part of the game plan, we must always remember that motivation comes and goes, but inspiration is what keeps people engaged. The great leadership styles you will read about in our book are these Latinx leaders who were prepared to tackle any challenge, which led to productivity in their chosen industry.

INCLUSION: INCLUSION DEVELOPS NEW LEADERSHIP – CHAPTER 4

In this evolution section, you read about some of the greatest Latino and Latina nonprofit and educational leaders in the United States, and you will gain understanding through the stories of how all have faced challenges before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic, the kinds of leadership challenges and uncertainties they have faced. These insightful stories give us a new grip on how to strengthen and develop the unique leadership patterns of engagement that drive inclusion, which makes you acutely aware of how some past patterns and complex experiences support your work and develop leadership traits.

If you are a leader looking for higher levels of awareness and performance in your role, then this may well be your next step.

TECHNOLOGY: TECHNOLOGY IS A WAY OF LIFE – CHAPTER 5

The leaders in this evolution section will provide stories and insights into the empowering steps they took to be the first or a pioneer in technology as leaders to connect their practices, policies, and procedures to innovation.

It is imperative to share various roles of Latino and Latina technology leaders within schools and districts across the country. These principles are predicated on a core belief that in a Future Ready school, all students have equitable access to qualified technology leaders. As you will read in many of our stories, the interviewees did not have equitable rights; therefore, many had to be the pioneers as first‐generation graduates and individuals in technology to fight for the equal rights for technology, whether it was internet access or access to capital.

• It is an imperative by asking the most common question: What will create a digital evolution for the Latinx community?
• What will create an environment that has instructional leadership and support with technological fluency and background in this field?
• How do we create online networks that support the educational and professional learning collaboration efforts to support disenfranchised schools?

ABUNDANCE: ABUNDANCE OF LIFE – CHAPTER 6

In this evolution section, you will learn stories of Latinos and Latinas in the media and the arts who are sharing stories through innovation, and helping create the narrative through growth in becoming a collaborative individual. The folks in the media and arts are sharing success stories that highlight ways of having an abundant attitude, through their focus of becoming successful.

An abundant attitude is a work in progress. As a Latino community we all learn how to contribute to growth and the abundance in our community.

LEVERAGE: LEVERAGE PROVIDES ENERGY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN – CHAPTER 7

In the evolution section, you will learn about entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who have made their way through gaining leverage. The motivation behind the actions in the stories you will read about may vary, but the common thread is all have been the first moving toward this new frontier as a Latinx community and have concentrated on innovation return on investment (ROI), one of them being the fact that funding an innovative start‐up and acquiring it (or its technology) later is more economical than developing the equivalent talent in‐house.

In this evolution section, you will read about Leverage Leadership principles that have proven to be a successful framework to streamline and implement when investing in the Latinx future.