A2A Circle: What’s next? Midlife strategy for leaders
Some conversations stay with you long after the room empties – Our latest A2A event was one of those nights. The event discovered the quiet complexities of midlife and what success looks like when you’re standing beside it, offering a range of diverse, eye-opening perspectives.
On Wednesday, 20 May – RMIT Alumni Relations team opened the floor for the deepest conversations on what it means to meet yourself in the middle of life, and what awaits on the other side of success.
Led by Mr. Tran Si Chuong, an economist, strategic advisor, and a well-known book author, and moderators, Mrs. Julia Tran Ngoc Anh, Founder/CEO, GTI International Coaching Co., Ltd, and Mr. Hoang Pham, Manager, Alumni Relations, RMIT University Vietnam, the evening transcended a longing sense of connections.
The event delved into the nuances of midlife and spark meaningful dialogue.
Identifying Who We Are
The event started with an onsite survey revolving around the Five Crucial Choices in Life, a framework introduced by renowned Vietnamese educator and thinker Gian Tu Trung. The audience were invited to score five pillars that shape the arc of life – career path, life partner, guiding mentors, surrounding networks, and the deeper purpose that fuels these aspects.
The results were both surprising and moving. Despite the slight differences in perspective between the 35–40 and 41–50 age groups, similar patterns in the overall scores served as a reminder that the nuances of midlife are universally shared, leaving the audience to ponder on the next chapter of their lives.
Our onsite survey shed light on the five crucial life choices across two different age groups.
The Hidden Power of Unfiltered Curiosity
Addressing the journey to find oneself in the mid-life haystack, Mr. Chuong highlighted the hidden power of unfiltered curiosity, the absolute key to uncovering identity and unlocking human intelligence. He stated that our most profound wisdom often stems from a place of pure, childlike innocence (sự hồn nhiên), which is essential for the first step of self-embracement: establishing who we are.
“Establishing our identity is the first step. The closer we get to our true selves, the closer we are to achieving genuine happiness, because ultimately, we are the only ones who can fulfill that for ourselves,” Mr. Chuong said.
Mr. Chuong spoke on the key first step to pursue real happiness: establishing our identity.
Navigating Midlife – The Key Differences Between Female and Male Leaders
Our evening’s highlight was when an audience questioned the gender differences in leadership and midlife perspectives, to which Mr. Chuong and Mrs. Julia unfolded a centralized theme.
Mr. Chuong discussed a fundamental psychological perspective: as women are conditioned from an early age to carry the weight of societal and maternal expectations, women subconsciously build a much higher psychological resilience than men, who can be considered more vulnerable when midlife disruption occurs.
Reflecting on this, Mrs. Julia emphasized that in Vietnamese society, women face immense pressure to excel simultaneously at home and at work, leaving them caught in a delicate tug-of-war between maternal roles and career ambitions. She also shared a deep personal reflection on her trade-off of missing her children’s early years while striving to accelerate her career.
Mrs. Julia shared her lived experience navigating the complex intersections of leadership, career, and family.
Together, their perspectives painted a complete picture: while midlife takes different shapes for everyone, the desire to navigate it with intention is universal. The event concluded with lingering questions, closing the night on a deeply resonant, emotional note.
Our group photo concluding the event.
Our special thanks to our event partners, Fonos, Vietnam’s leading digital audio platform, and SEUP – RMIT School of English & University Pathways, for their support in making the event happen.
View the event photo album here: A2A Circle – What’s next? Midlife strategy for leaders
Photo credit: Nghia Ngo
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