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Letter from the editor
Thursday, May 24, 2007

SPOTLIGHT: Women debate the composition of what makes a strong leader. The panelists, from top, include Trâm Nguyễn, Joann Phạm and Duy-Loan Lê. Photos by VŨ ĐÌNH TRỌNG.

HOUSTON — First, we heard about the three Cs: courage, confidence, compassion.

Then the IQ: Integrity. Quality.

These elements, combined, allow for leadership, according to Duy-Loan Lê, a Texas Instruments senior fellow, the first woman and the first Asian elected to this rank in the company.

In delivering her speech, she paced the room in front of the audience, challenging young men and women to “assume personal risk. We are required to do this to lead.”

Next to her, Joann Phạm, CEO of Greenlight Financial Services, said she was already an adult when arriving in the United States after the fall of Sài Gòn in 1975. Rather than choosing the mortgage business, she stumbled into it, struggling to support her extended family. “In the beginning the only choice was to survive... I do the best that I can.”

Trâm Nguyễn, disaster services director for the nonprofit Boat People SOS, said her work fulfills her. Rather than jump at an offer from Goldman Sachs, “helping the rich get richer” as an investment banker, she said she wanted to follow a path that “makes me happy.”

Her words do inspire me. I got invited to be on a panel with these three remarkable women during the Vietnamese American Summit staged at last week’s Vietnamese American National Gala.

The session, moderated by Diệp Đòan, director of business development for Diamond Cutters International, united our beliefs that leadership is never done in isolation. I think that it’s not based on position or title. What matters is an ability to express yourself — having not just a career but a purpose, as my parents taught me.

What I heard the trio and Đoàn echo during our two hours :

— Everything we do builds our reputation — a reputation that can be harmed in an instant. Safeguard it.

— We have a moral responsibility to create opportunity for others.

— We also have a responsibility to teach our children and youths around us personal responsibility.

— Always go back to that work-life balance. Reach for what sustains you.

— And never think you’ve finished with nurturing team spirit. You can never be done.

Yours,

Anh Do

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