SFIO 208 - Still Figuring Out What Leadership Really Means with Thu Hue Nguyen
Release Date: 06/17/2025
SFIO 308
Still Figuring It Out
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SFIO 307 - Align and Accelerate: Fundraising with Heart with Chris Baiocchi
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SFIO 305 Relationship-Based Sales that Don’t Suck with Andrea Ferry Daniels
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SFIO 303 - Doing Life Side by Side
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SFIO 302 - A Bend in the Road: How EWTS Coaching Came to Be
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SFIO 301 - Reading, Play, and the Next Bend in the Road
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SFIO 212 “Debriefing, Dopamine, and the Joy of Gadgets”
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SFIO 211 - “Belonging, Boundaries, and Brain Science”
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📋 Episode Summary In this thoughtful and energizing conversation, Marc and Emily welcome Dr. Jessica Sharp—organizational psychologist, educator, and champion of belonging. From her travels across the country to her work in Houston and beyond, Jessica is known for making complex topics like unconscious bias, self-leadership, and brain science accessible and engaging. Together, the trio explores the cultural baggage we carry around struggle and ease, what it means to be a grownup (with or without kids), and how boundaries are more than just saying “no.” This is a conversation about...
info_outlineđź“‹ Episode Summary
In this powerful episode, Marc and Emily sit down with Thu Hue Nguyen, a nonprofit founder, Obama Fellow, and leadership coach based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Together they explore the realities of leading through challenge, the evolution from founder to coach, and why investing in leadership development is essential—especially in resource-scarce sectors.
Thu Hue shares how she transitioned from law into ocean and fisheries work, and how crisis moments taught her that leadership is not innate—it can be learned. With refreshing honesty, she talks about learning to let go, inspire others, and coach teams instead of simply managing them.
This episode is rich with insights for leaders, founders, and coaches who are navigating transition or asking, "Am I doing this right?" Spoiler: if you’re asking, you’re probably on the right track.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Leadership isn’t born—it’s built, often through challenges and reflection.
- Coaching helps leaders shift from control to empowerment.
- Founders often struggle to ask for help—but that’s when true leadership growth begins.
- Leadership development is worth investing in, even when resources feel tight.
- Great leaders create space for others, offer clear direction, and stay connected to vision and mission.
đź—Ł Quote Highlights
“You learn leadership by being in motion—by tripping and standing back up.” – Marc
“When people leave, we often realize we should’ve had that conversation a month ago.” – Thu Hue
“Founders lead down and up. If no one’s pulling them up, the system breaks.” – Marc
🌍 About the Guest
Thu Hue Nguyen is a Vietnamese social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader dedicated to sustainable development in coastal communities. She has served on numerous boards, supports fisheries and fisherpeople, and is an alum of the prestigious Obama Foundation Fellowship. She’s also a certified leadership coach through the Quadrant 3 framework.
🎺 That Music!
Special thanks to Lexi Moreno, Caleb Pitman, and Zoe Czarnecki for the original music. Lexi Moreno: composing, mixing, mastering, guitar; Caleb Pitman: composing, mixing, trumpet; Zoe Czarnecki: bass.