Leadership Is Choosing to Serve 领导力就是选择服务
Leadership Is Choosing to Serve: A Message to Our Future Leaders
By Mingchu Pearl Huynh, 4/23/2026
Recently, I had the honor of speaking with high school and doctoral students at the Leadership Academy program at Kensington Health Science Academy. As I looked out at the audience, I didn’t just see students—I saw future leaders, problem-solvers, and changemakers.
I want to share the message I gave them with our broader community, because leadership is not a title reserved for a select few. It is a choice we make every single day.
From Refugee to Community Advocate
My name is Mingchu Pearl Huynh. I arrived in the United States in 1980 as a Vietnamese boat refugee. I was just a teenager, starting over in a new country, navigating a new language, and learning how to build a life from the ground up.
Like many immigrants, I began with very little. Through public education, self-learning, and persistence, I built a career as a software developer and later became a real estate investor. By my late 40s, I had achieved financial independence. At that point, I faced a choice: retire comfortably, or give back.
I chose to serve.
In 2018, I founded the Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association (NEPCA). Our mission is simple but powerful: we bring people together—across language, culture, and background—to build a stronger, healthier community. We support immigrant families, seniors, youth, and underserved residents—especially those who often lack a voice. Our work is rooted in one core belief: we serve not because we have to, but because we care.
Real-World Leadership: Testing Your Resolve
Leadership is truly tested when progress slows down. One of the most defining moments for me has been our advocacy for better healthcare access in Northeast Philadelphia.
Despite being one of the fastest-growing areas in the city, our community had only one city health center. People were waiting up to a year just to see a doctor. When a new health center was proposed at Friends Hospital and met with resistance, we took action. We organized outreach, collected nearly 1,000 petition signatures, and worked tirelessly with city officials.
The project was finally approved in the summer of 2024. But then, progress stalled. There was no construction, no urgency, and a projected completion date as far off as 2029. When I heard that timeline, I didn’t just see a date on a calendar. I saw the faces of families who cannot afford to wait four more years for care. I heard the voices of those who said they simply cannot afford to get sick.
That was a turning point. Leadership is not just about starting a project; it is about what you do when public benefits matter become invisible, frustrating, and slow. Instead of stepping back, we stepped forward:
We built a coalition of organizations and individuals who care.
We engaged city leaders and the media to bring the issue back into the light.
We became a “watchdog for the community.”
That experience reinforced a vital truth: leadership is not about quick wins. It is about staying committed when the work is hard.
Real Change Starts Small
Many people believe leadership requires doing something extraordinary. In reality, most meaningful change starts small. At NEPCA, we have:
Helped residents obtain City IDs to access essential services.
Supported healthcare providers in delivering over 2300 COVID-19 vaccinations.
Provided Chinese-language support at local food distribution sites.
Trained youth volunteers to manage real systems, events, and community outreach.
These efforts may not always make the headlines, but they change lives. Impact is not measured by size; it is measured by who is helped.
Building Bridges Across Differences
Our work extends beyond any single community. We collaborate with more than 100 organizations across different cultures, languages, and generations. This isn't always easy—cultural gaps and differing perspectives can lead to misunderstandings.
However, leadership means leaning into those differences rather than avoiding them. I have found that we can overcome these challenges if we:
Respect people from all backgrounds.
Offer help with genuine sincerity.
Step forward whenever something needs to be done.
One of the most powerful roles of a leader is to create spaces where people who would not normally connect can come together. That is how a real community is built.
A Call to Action
You do not need a title to be a leader. You can start exactly where you are:
Organize something meaningful.
Volunteer in your neighborhood.
Speak up when you see something that isn't right.
Support someone who feels left out.
Do not wait for permission or for someone to choose you—choose to act. As you do, avoid these common pitfalls:
Waiting until you feel “ready”: You never will; just do it.
Trying to do it all alone: Leadership is about building a team.
Giving up too quickly: Anything meaningful takes time.
Assuming it’s "not my problem": If you see a need, take responsibility.
Closing Reflection
Leadership is not about power; it is about responsibility. It is about ensuring others are heard and making life better for everyone. Most importantly, leadership is not about you—it is about the people you choose to serve.
I ended my talk with a challenge for the students, and I offer it to you as well : Talk to someone you don’t know. Ask them what issue they care about, and really listen. Leadership often begins with a single conversation, a small connection, and a decision to care.
Whether you are a student, a professional, or a neighbor, leadership is always within reach. It doesn't require wealth or perfection—it requires heart, commitment, and the willingness to step forward.
In your community, there are always volunteers needed. Will you take action?
领导力就是选择服务：致我们未来的领导者
**作者：黄明珠 Mingchu Pearl Huynh **
最近，我有幸在肯辛顿健康科学学院 (Kensington Health Science Academy) 的**领导力学院**项目中，与高中生和博士生们进行了一次交流。当我看着这些年青听众时，我看到的不仅仅是学生——我看到了未来的领导者、问题解决者和变革推动者。
我希望将我在那次活动上分享的信息，传达给我们更广泛的社区，因为领导力并非少数人的专属头衔。它是我们每天都要做出的一个选择。
从难民到社区倡导者
我叫黄明珠 （Mingchu Pearl Huynh）。1980年，我作为越南船民难民抵达美国。那时我还只是个十几岁的孩子，要在一个全新的国家重新开始，学习一门新的语言，并从头开始学习如何建立生活。
和许多移民一样，我起步时几乎一无所有。通过公共教育、自学和坚持不懈的努力，我成为一名软件开发者，后来又成为房地产投资者。到近50岁时，我实现了财务独立。那时，我面临一个选择：安逸地退休，还是回馈社会。
**我选择了服务。**
2018年，我创立了**东北费城华人协会，也是东北费城公益协会 Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association (NEPCA)**。我们的使命简单而有力：我们将人们凝聚在一起——跨越语言、文化和背景的差异——共同建设一个祥和美好的社区。我们支持移民家庭、长者、青少年和资源不足的居民——尤其是那些常常缺乏发言权的人。
我们的工作植根于一个核心理念：我们服务，不是因为我们不得不这样做，而是因为我们关心。
现实中的领导力：考验你的决心
当进展缓慢时，领导力才真正受到考验。对我来说，最具决定性意义的时刻之一，便是我们为提高费城东北部医疗普及性所做的倡导。
尽管该地区是城市中发展最快的区域之一，但我们的社区只有一个市级健康中心。人们看医生要等上长达一年的时间。当有人提议在友谊医院园地里新建一个健康中心却遭到反对时，我们采取了行动。我们组织外联活动，收集了近1000个请愿签名，并与市政府官员不懈地合作。
该项目最终于2024年夏天获批。但随后，进展陷入停滞。没有施工，没有紧迫感，预计完工日期远至2029年。当我听到这个时间表时，我看到的不仅仅是一个日历上的日期。我看到了那些负担不起再等四年才能获得医疗服务的家庭的面孔。我听到了那些说“我们生不起病”的声音。
那是一个转折点。领导力不仅仅关乎启动一个项目；更关乎当人民利益事情变得不为人见、令人沮丧、进展缓慢时，你会怎么做。我们没有退缩，而是挺身而出：
- 我们建立了一个由关心此事的组织和个人组成的联盟。
- 我们与城市领导人和媒体沟通，将这个问题重新带回公众视野。
- 我们成为了“社区的监督者”。
那次经历印证了一个至关重要的真理：领导力不在于速胜。而在于当工作艰难时，依然保持投入。
真正的改变始于小事
许多人认为，领导力需要做出非凡之举。但实际上，最有意义的改变往往始于小事。在 公益协会 （NEPCA），我们：
- 帮助居民获取城市身份证，以便获得基本服务。
- 支持医疗保健提供者完成了超过2300次新冠疫苗接种。
- 在本地食品分发点提供中文翻译。
- 培训青少年志愿者管理真实系统、活动和社区外联。
这些努力可能不总能登上新闻头条，但它们改变了生活。影响力不是用大小来衡量的；而是用谁得到了帮助来衡量的。
搭建跨越差异的桥梁
公益协会 的工作超越了任何单一社区。我们与超过100个来自不同文化、语言和代际的组织合作。这并不总是容易的——文化差异和不同的视角可能导致误解。
然而，领导力意味着积极应对这些差异，而不是回避它们。我发现，只要我们能做到以下几点，就能克服这些挑战：
1. **尊重**来自所有背景的人。
2. **提供帮助**，怀揣真诚。
3. **挺身而出**，只要有事需要做。
领导者最强大的角色之一，就是创造空间，让那些通常不会产生联系的人能够走到一起。这就是祥和社区的起步。
行动号召
你不需要一个头衔来成为领导者。你可以从你现在所在的地方开始：
- 组织一些有意义的事情。
- 在你的社区做志愿者。
- 当你看到不对的事情时，勇于发声。
- 支持那些感到被冷落的人。
不要等待许可，也不要等待别人来选择你——选择行动。
在此过程中，请避免这些常见的误区：
- 等到你觉得“准备好了”： 你永远不会有完全准备好的那一天；做就对了。
- 试图独自完成所有事情： 领导力关乎组建团队。
- 太快放弃： 任何有意义的事情都需要时间。
- 认为“这不关我的事”：如果你看到了需求，就承担起责任。
结语反思
领导力无关权力；它关乎责任。它关乎确保他人被听到，并让每个人的生活变得更好。最重要的是，领导力不注重在你——而关乎你选择去服务的那些人。
在我分享的最后，我给学生们留下了一个挑战：去和你不认识的人说说话。问问他们关心什么问题，并真正地倾听。领导力往往始于一次简单的对话，一个微小的连接，以及一个决定去关心的意愿。
无论你是学生、专业人士还是一般大众，领导力总是触手可及。它不需要财富或完美——它需要的是内心的热忱、坚持守护，和挺身而出的意愿。
在你的社区里，总有些义工服务机会等人去做。你要不要采取行动？
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