Synchronicity

Monday Morning Motivations

In my 1988 Ph.D. dissertation in chemical engineering from Lehigh University, I referenced “synchronicity” in my Acknowledgements. Renowned psychoanalyst Carl Jung’s concept of synchronicity emphasizes the idea that all events and experiences, no matter how seemingly unrelated, are connected on a deeper, spiritual level. Jung viewed synchronicity as meaningful coincidences which could not be explained … Read more

Beyond Panic and Complacency

In the 1970s, two words could be used to describe the United States’ attitude toward oil: complacency and panic. This insight is attributed to former US Secretary of Defense and the first US Secretary of Energy, Dr. James Schlesinger, who experienced firsthand how quickly our nation moved between these two states during the Middle East … Read more

No Resolutions for this 4721 New Year?

Monday Morning Motivations

Yesterday marked the start of a new Lunar year, 4721, also called Chinese New Year. Unlike the celebration for the solar or Gregorian calendar on January 1st, the Lunar New Year doesn’t feature the guilt and obligations of new year’s resolutions. Perhaps you’re relieved by that or reminded of what you pledged a few weeks … Read more

Cathartic or Authentic?

When I began writing A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal, people often asked me if authoring a memoir was cathartic. Initially, I assumed it was—yet as I revised and edited the book, I discovered that there’s a distinction between catharsis and authenticity. An authentic account is rooted in fact, so accuracy … Read more

MLK and the Multiverse

Monday Morning Motivations

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail: “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you … Read more

“Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal”​ Explained

This is an exciting week, as I prepare for the Pre-Launch of my book A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal. A book pre-launch is an opportunity for you to pre-order a copy of my book, join me on my author’s journey as I move into final editing and marketing, and celebrate … Read more

“A Test for Our Time”​ Explained

Monday Morning Motivations

This is an exciting week, as I prepare for the Pre-Order Launch of my book A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal. A book Pre-Order Launch is an opportunity for you to pre-order a copy of my book, join me on my author’s journey as I move into final editing and marketing, … Read more

SCOTUS Case, Asian Americans, & Affirmative Action

The current U.S. Supreme Court case involving alleged discrimination at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina has the potential to upend decades of affirmative action policy. At issue is whether race can be used as a factor in college admissions, and the case could have a major impact on the way colleges across … Read more

Book Excerpt: Model Minority Myth

Here’s an excerpt from my new book (working title, due 2023), A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal. It echoes this week’s theme about belonging: The model minority stereotype is a complicated one for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. On the one hand, it confirms the immigrant values of hard work, persistence, … Read more

TANGram: Super Mentors

Today, I pay tribute to my lifelong mentor, Dr. Arthur E. Humphrey, who turns 95 years old today. He was my PhD advisor back in 1982. Forty years later, I reflect on the profound impact that he’s had on my life. Without knowing it at the time, Arthur was to be one of my life’s … Read more