Resonating to Make a Difference: When Zen Leadership Touches the Journey of Vietnamese Leaders
by Helen Nguyen
We came together in the talkshow “Resonate to Make a Difference”—inspired by the book of the same name by our Zen Master, Ginny Whitelaw—to share our learning journey from Harvard to Blue Cliff to Zen Leadership. The speakers on this panel were pioneering Vietnamese leaders who have been bringing the wisdom of the world back home to Vietnam with deep intention and heart.
That evening, as we sat down on the meditation cushions, the room grew still. The lights were soft, the air was warm, and the sound of a bell gently echoed as cups of tea were lifted in both hands. Together, we began with a familiar tea meditation ritual. I could feel the energy of the hara—the center where breath and presence begin. In that moment, I was not just the moderator; I was part of the energy moving through the room—quiet yet powerful, calm yet radiant.
To me, this was not merely a dialogue about academic experiences. It was a journey back to center—a space where each person could touch their true self and feel the power of resonance.
Phạm Duy Hiếu – When the Ego is Illuminated by Connection
Hiếu opened the evening with a sentence that drew the whole room into silence:
“When the head separates from the heart and the hara, the ego is born.”
He spoke about the journey of recognizing the ego—the part of us that constantly seeks to control, to hold power, to prove. When the mind and body are disconnected, energy fractures. But when he learned to bring them back together, something miraculous happened:
“When I make decisions from my hara, I feel a light turning on inside. Everything becomes clear and effortless.”
His words became a favorite phrase in our later gatherings—“my hara loves it.”
I remember during our Zen Leadership class, in the practice Flip from Controlling to Connecting, he put himself in his wife’s position to feel all her thoughts and emotions. When he shared his reflection later, his wife confirmed, “Yes, that’s exactly what I felt and thought.”
He also shared about visiting Ginny in Annapolis, where she guided him through a sound practice to activate Driver energy.
“I shouted from my hara with all my strength, yet it wasn’t as powerful as hers—a woman in her seventies. Then I realized, it’s the energy of wholeness—when head, heart, and hara move as one.”
Listening to him, I could see Flip #6 – From Controlling to Connecting fully alive before my eyes.
He was no longer talking about Zen Leadership—he was being a Zen Leader.
Lê Bá Thông – The Journey of Seeking Teachers and Attracting the Future
Thông shared his own path of seeking masters—from Harvard to Blue Cliff to Zen Leadership—with the purpose of bringing the world’s wisdom to Vietnamese leaders. He said it wasn’t just a study trip, but a pilgrimage to find a source of light for the leadership community in Vietnam, where intellect, spirit, and awakening become one.
Before he began, the room observed a minute of silence to honor Thầy Hà Vĩnh Thọ, the father of the Gross National Happiness (GNH) model. The air grew still—a silence full of gratitude.
Thông said gently:
“Thầy has left us a legacy of happiness. And we—those sitting here—are the ones to continue that journey.”
When he spoke about Harvard, he shared a profound lesson he brought home:
“In the age of AI, leaders must not only change the way the game is played, but create new rules for the game itself.”
Then he paused and added,
“The biggest insight for me was this: moving from optimization to self-generation.”
He told us about a small card from Thầy Thích Nhất Hạnh, on which there were only two numbers: 100%.
“At first, I didn’t understand,” he said. “Later, I realized it was a reminder—to be 100% present. Fully here, with this moment, with the person in front of me. When we are completely present, the future quietly opens itself.”
The room fell silent again. I could feel the energy of Flip #7 – Attracting the Future spreading around us. It wasn’t about forcing the future to come, but being deeply present so that the future naturally arises.
In Thông, I saw a harmony of intellect and intuition, of action and surrender. A leader who no longer chases outcomes, but lets the energy of presence guide him—from effort to flow.
Đàm Đức Anh – Freedom in Responsibility
When Đức Anh spoke, the atmosphere softened.
He shared about his inner journey at Blue Cliff Monastery, where he learned a lesson that touched everyone in the room:
“Freedom within responsibility.”
He said,
“I used to make decisions purely from logic. I believed the tighter I controlled, the better things would go. But through Zen Leadership, I realized—my body knows more than my head thinks. When I listen to my body and my emotions, everything becomes easier.”
His words were gentle, but they went deep.
As I looked at him, I saw Flip #4 – From Tension to Extension embodied—a leader expanding from within, from limitation to freedom. One who leads not through pressure, but through understanding and trust.
Hara and the Energy in Motion
After the panel’s sharing, I invited the whole room to return to center.
“Breathe in as if pouring energy into your lower belly. Gently press down, like a French press, and exhale—letting the energy flow throughout your body.”
It was the French Press Hara Breathing—a familiar Zen Leadership practice.
The breath of more than a hundred people slowly synchronized, energy became aligned—light yet grounded.
Then, Trân—my co-facilitator and also a student of Ginny—guided everyone to experience the four energy patterns: Visionary, Driver, Organizer, and Collaborator, through music and movement gestures. Each rhythm awakened a different energy—strength, creativity, discipline, or connection.
The room came alive. People smiled, moved, and felt the energy flowing within.
At the end, we took a group photo—each person posing in their favorite energy form. It was a moment full of joy and resonance.
When the energy finally settled, I invited everyone to reflect through two questions:
1) “What lingers within you after listening to the speakers?”
2) “What is one thing you will do differently to resonate and create value for the community?”
The space was both quiet and radiant.
Each person was connecting deeply with themselves.
A Joyful Announcement – Zen Leadership Officially Comes to Vietnam
When the room calmed down, I shared the happy news:
“In 2026, the full Zen Leadership program will officially be brought to Vietnam, with the direct guidance of Dr. Ginny Whitelaw.”
We also hope to invite Ginny to join a global academic collaboration—Harvard, Blue Cliff, and Zen Leadership—where the three streams of Head, Heart, and Hara can truly resonate in one space of learning and being.
At that moment, I felt clearly: Vietnam is ready for a new journey—one of Resonant Leadership.
When Resonance Becomes Leadership
As the evening came to a close, I looked around the room.
There were no more questions, no more speeches—only presence. Quiet yet full.
I thought to myself:
“When the head, the heart, and the hara resonate as one, we no longer talk about leadership—we become leadership.”
Zen Leadership is not just a method.
It is a way of living, a way of being, a way of loving and leading with our whole self.
Helen Nguyen is the CEO of Liberal Leadership Organization and is a member of the IZL Teaching Committee