Lynn Lew

I attribute my success to a combination of curiosity, persistence, compassion, and the ability to truly listen. I've built my career on understanding not just systems, but people - how they work, where they struggle, and what helps them perform at their best. I believe in treating others with respect, helping without keeping score, and approaching every challenge with both logic and humanity. Much of this mindset comes from the values my parents instilled in me, particularly around authenticity, humility, generosity, and reputation. My dad always taught me that the only one who can ruin your name is you, and that if you tell the truth, the truth will never let you down. I don't just go to get a paycheck - I'm a mover and a shaker who doesn't like when something's not right, and I have to fix it. I fix things not for me, but to make things better for others and to help them not lose sleep at night. I've always been driven by the satisfaction of knowing I helped someone have a better life or be happier when they were sad. That, to me, is priceless - I don't need monetary reward.

The best advice I received came from my parents, especially my father. He taught me that the only one who can ruin your name is you - nobody else can do it. He also taught me to treat others as you wish to be treated, and that if you tell the truth, the truth will never let you down, because you don't have to remember what you said to somebody if you told them the right thing. My father was highly respected and served as an arbitrator for one of the biggest Chinese associations covering North America, Mexico, and Canada. Even though it wasn't a paid position, everyone wanted him as a business partner because of his reputation, but he always said he didn't want partners because he wanted to maintain control over his own name and reputation. He modeled leadership, fairness, and respect through both his life story and his work. My parents' experiences as immigrants - working hard, building a life, and remaining grounded - left a deep mark on how I lead and serve others. They always told me that no matter what happens, I could always come home, which gave me the security to take risks and be authentic.

I would tell young women to learn how everything connects, not just their own task. Don't limit yourself to what's written in a job description - become known as a problem-solver, someone who can bridge gaps, improve communication, and help organizations function better as a whole. Build credibility through both competence and communication. Success comes from being willing to understand the full picture, ask the right questions, and earn trust across departments. I always tell people that trust is not given, and respect is not given - both are earned. Also, stay grounded and be kind. Never underestimate the value of helping others succeed along the way. I always say a job you can replace, but a family you cannot, so make sure you're in control of your own destiny and decide what your priorities are. If your family needs your attention, take care of that first, because you're not going to be worth anything if you can't focus. And remember, a productive, happy person is better than a person who's an emotional wreck. Be compassionate with yourself and others.

One of the biggest challenges in my field is that many organizations focus too narrowly on individual pieces of a problem instead of understanding the full system. This creates inefficiencies, miscommunication, and repeated frustration across teams. People work in silos, and I've literally been in meetings where different departments didn't even know what each other was doing until I asked them to explain their processes. Another major challenge is that after COVID, people are doing more with less - organizations are not hiring like they used to, they're reducing through attrition or cost-cutting measures, and the people who remain are burned out. The problem is that if you burn out your working people, you're not going to have the ability to run your organization. At the same time, this creates a major opportunity for professionals who can connect the dots. There's enormous value in leaders who understand both systems and people - who can see the big picture, improve collaboration, and create processes that save time while improving work-life balance. The opportunity is not just in better technology, but in better communication, better design, and more human-centered leadership.

The values most important to me are authenticity, honesty, compassion, and respect. I believe in being direct and honest because if you tell the truth, the truth will never let you down - you don't have to remember what you said to somebody if you told them the right thing. I don't beat around the bush. I also deeply value compassion and treating people like human beings. I always tell my employees that a job you can replace, but a family you cannot, and I want them to take care of their personal needs first because a productive, happy person is better than an emotional wreck. I believe in helping others without keeping score - what gives me happiness is knowing I helped someone have a better life or be happier when they were sad. That's priceless to me. I also value reputation and integrity. My parents taught me that the only one who can ruin your name is you, and I've carried that with me throughout my career. I don't want fame and glory - I just want to do good work, help people, and be respected for who I am. I'm not there just for me, I'm there for everybody. I give a damn about others because we're all human beings on this planet who deserve to be loved and not judged.