In her own words, Xiaowei thanks her TCP Executive Director, Sue A. Marshall, for her generous support when she applied to, and was accepted by, this prestigious program. Despite various difficulties, culture barriers and challenges as an immigrant to the US at the age of 30, she says she has been very fortunate to have had the opportunities to learn and work with phenomenal leaders and professionals, especially at FAR.

The Harvard SEF on site program, led by renowned Harvard faculty and expert practitioners, further strengthened her overall skillsets as a company leader and expanded her knowledge and understanding of effective leadership. The program allowed her to explore a variety of comprehensive subjects including Decision Science, Policy Development, Negotiation and Persuasion, Performance Measurement, Authentic Leadership, Rick Control, Cross-Sector Collaboration, etc. This was also a great opportunity to network with successful executives from different agencies around the world. “Leadership is a journey, not a destination (quoting John Donahoe )”.

Each significant adversity presents the greatest opportunity for your leadership growth. Be fearless and embrace the challenges! Gentle but bold, she will follow her True North onward and upward as a leader to better serve both the organization and the communities.

Xiaowei with Dana Born, faculty Chair at Harvard SEF (left) & Frank Hartmann, Professor at HKS (right)