Wisdom & Leadership

Many people are surprised when they first read one of the most famous lines in the Tao Te Ching: “Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs.” At first glance, this passage sounds cold—even cruel. It may seem as if Lao Tzu is saying that nature is indifferent to life and that human beings have little value. However, Tao Te Ching Chapter 5 is actually one of the most misunderstood chapters in the entire book. Lao Tzu is not advocating cruelty. He

Original Text The Tao is like an empty vessel;
Though used, it is never filled.
It is profound, the source of all things.
It blunts sharpness, untangles knots, softens brilliance, and becomes one with the dust.
It seems hidden, yet it always exists.
I do not know whose child it is;
It appears to have existed before Heaven itself. Tao Te Ching Chapter 4: Plain Language Explanation and Core Message Tao Te Ching Chapter 4 reminds us that true strength does not come from possessi

Introduction: Leadership Is Not Just About Managing Talent In previous articles in this Leadership Series, I discussed: Everyday Leadership Self-Awareness Personality and Leadership Golden Circle Leadership Communication Leadership Cross-Cultural Communication Leadership Styles and Influence As organizations grow, however, leaders often face a different challenge. The question is no longer: “How do we hire the smartest people?” Instead, it becomes: “How do we help different p

Introduction: There Is No Best Leadership Style—Only the Most Appropriate One In the previous articles of this Leadership Series, I discussed: Everyday Leadership Self-Awareness Personality and Leadership Golden Circle Leadership Communication Leadership Cross-Cultural Communication As we begin leading teams, however, another important question often arises: What is the best leadership style? At first glance, this seems like a simple question. But after years of working in ac

Introduction: The Hardest Part Is Usually Not Language — It’s Culture In the previous article, I discussed communication leadership, including: emotional regulation psychological safety trust building the curse of knowledge However, once teams become more diverse, communication enters another level of complexity: cross-cultural communication Today, we live in an increasingly global environment. Especially in biotech, technology, and startup industries, it is common to work wi

Introduction: The Core of Leadership Is Communication In previous articles in this Leadership Series, I discussed: Everyday Leadership Self-awareness Personality and leadership styles Golden Circle Leadership and starting with “Why” However, one of the most important factors that determines whether a leader can truly align and guide a team is communication. Many people think communication simply means “speaking clearly.” In reality, communication is much deeper than informati

Cross-Disciplinary Learning Is Not Talent: How I Self-Learned My Way from Engineering to Biomedicine and Bioinformatics I didn’t start on the “right” path My academic training began in engineering—chemical engineering and civil engineering. At the time, biology felt distant and abstract. Molecular mechanisms, cellular signaling, and biological data analysis were not part of my formal education. What engineering gave me was not certainty, but a habit of structured thinking: br

Executive Summary A team can recruit talented people and still perform poorly. Strong team dynamics depend not only on expertise, but also on communication, trust, role clarity, conflict management, motivation, and psychological safety. Imposter syndrome can quietly weaken a team when capable people hesitate to speak, ask questions, challenge assumptions, or take ownership. Leaders cannot eliminate every employee’s self-doubt, but they can create an environment in which uncer

Executive Summary - leading complex teams Modern leadership is no longer about managing people—it is about managing complexity. Team complexity is driven by interdependence, not simply by team size. Successful leaders create alignment across different functions, cultures, and perspectives. Matrix organizations and AI-powered workflows are reshaping how teams collaborate. Technical expertise alone is no longer enough; leadership requires influence, communication, and systems t

Original Text Do not exalt the worthy, and the people will not contend. Do not value rare treasures, and the people will not steal. Do not display what arouses desire, and the hearts of the people will not be disturbed. Therefore, the sage governs by: Emptying their minds, Filling their bellies, Weakening their ambitions, Strengthening their bones. Always keeping the people unknowing and without desire, So that the clever ones do not dare to act. Act through non-action (wu we

Tao Te Ching Chapter 2: Relativity｜Original Text & Core Ideas When everyone in the world knows beauty as beauty, then ugliness already exists. When everyone knows good as good, then not-good already exists. Being and non-being give birth to each other; Difficult and easy complete each other; Long and short contrast each other; High and low incline toward each other; Sound and tone harmonize with each other; Front and back follow each other. Therefore, the sage acts through no

A solitary figure in traditional attire gazes over misty mountains, capturing the serene essence of contemplation in a landscape inspired by classical Chinese ink wash. Accompanying calligraphy reflects philosophical wisdom. Introduction As I’ve grown older, read more, and entered the professional world, I’ve found myself drawn to books that I never would have picked up as a student in Taiwan. In recent years, I’ve written extensively about leadership development and team gro

The giant in biomedical engineering, Robert Langer Introduction As a former postdoctoral researcher in Professor Robert Langer’s MIT lab , it is both an honor and a pleasure to introduce my mentor and share my personal journey into one of the most creative and influential research environments in the world. Professor Robert Langer at MIT is not only a pioneer in biomedical engineering but also a scientist whose work has fundamentally reshaped modern medicine, drug delivery,

Introduction: Leadership is Not About Direction—It’s About Meaning In previous articles, I explored everyday leadership, self-awareness, and personality. But there is one layer deeper that separates a good leader from an inspiring leader: 👉 The ability to give meaning to what we do. Most leaders can assign tasks.Some leaders can define strategies. But only a few can make people believe in what they are doing. This is where the Golden Circle Theory, proposed by Simon Sinek, b

Introduction In the previous article, we explored self-awareness leadership and why understanding our emotions, values, strengths, and blind spots is the foundation of effective leadership. However, self-awareness does not end with reflection and feedback alone. To deepen personality awareness leadership , leaders must also understand their behavioral patterns —how they naturally think, decide, communicate, and interact with others. One practical way to do this is through pe

Leadership Series (Series 2): Self-Awareness — The Foundation of Effective Leadership Introduction In the previous article, we explored Everyday Leadership and why leadership is not defined by job titles but by influence. This second article focuses on the core skill that shapes every great leader: Self-awareness — understanding yourself before you lead others. Self-awareness helps you recognize your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and blind spots. Without this foun

Everyday Leadership (Series 1): Build Leadership Skills to Accelerate Your Career Growth Leadership today is no longer defined by titles or authority. In modern workplaces—especially in science, biotech, academia, and technology— leadership is a behavior , shaped by how we communicate, collaborate, and influence others. This article begins my leadership series by introducing the powerful concept of Everyday Leadership , a framework that helps anyone build leadership skills an