Jerry Fu PharmD, PCC shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Jerry, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Right now, energy – I can’t do nearly enough of what I need to unless I have it in spades.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Jerry Fu, career and leadership coach for cross-cultural leaders. I love being a catalyst for my clients so they can live active, purposeful lives. I do this through speaking, facilitating, and coaching, helping leaders become more visible, vocal, and valuable, and taking them from self-doubt to self-assurance. I especially have a heart for relapsing people-pleasers, those who feel overlooked or unseen, and those who wonder if they really matter.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My third grade teacher, Mr. Stuart Bell. He saw past the timid, skinny kid who struggled with loud, short-tempered teachers. He saw me as highly intelligent who needed the right challenges and support to flourish. Easily one of my favorite teachers of all time.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I once was dismissed in the middle of a $10k coaching gig. Ultimately, I realized that by saying “yes” to excessive tasks that didn’t align with or support my coaching business, I couldn’t expect it to grow, and I became a bigger advocate for the opportunity to allocate more of my time and energy to the work I was truly passionate about – and to be more willing to walk away from factors that may provide some stability but ultimately don’t move me forward.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
The refusal to acknowledge the power of self-deception. So much misinformation is deliberately being spread that people don’t know what to trust anymore. Worse, people will refute evidence that may directly contradict what they believe. My hope is for people to take on more humility and curiosity, that they would be willing to wrestle with difficult facts and correct course accordingly.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What pain do you resist facing directly?
The pain of disappointment. I’ve struggled with saying “no” to others, even when it means saying “no” to myself. It’s never fun to have to dismiss clients or employees, and it’s definitely no fun having been dismissed myself. The one truth I cling to is that a little pain now is better than a lot of pain later.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adaptingleaders.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-e-fu-pharmd-pcc-53710187/
