A Delayed Writer, or a Voice Finally Found?

By: Dr. Jian Zhang

In a recent interview with Jo Wan, anchor at KTSF, I was asked a question that stayed with me long after the cameras were off:

“You seem like a literary person who was delayed—did you always have an interest in

writing?”

The answer is yes.

I have always loved writing.

But the truth is—I never stopped writing.

Writing, All Along

For most of my life, writing was part of my work:

• Scientific papers

• Business plans

• Strategic plans

• Policies

• Newsletters

• Press releases

  
  

Writing was how I communicated, how I led, and how I built alignment within complex

organizations.

It was structured and purpose-driven.

It carried responsibility.

But it was not the same as the kind of writing I am doing now.

A Different Kind of Voice

The writing I do today is quieter.

It is not written for a board meeting, a regulator, or a strategic plan.

It is written from reflection.

For many years, that voice had to wait—not because it wasn’t there, but because it wasn’t the priority.

Leadership—especially in times of crisis—requires clarity, decisiveness, and focus. There is

little room for open-ended reflection when decisions must be made quickly and consequences are real.

So I wrote in the language of action.

When Space Returns

After retired from the CEO of Chinese Hospital, something shifted.

For the first time in decades, I had space—not just time, but mental space.

Space to think.

Space to feel.

Space to ask questions without needing immediate answers.

That is when I began to write differently.

My daughter helped me set up my website and blog, but more importantly, she encouraged me to share—to believe that these reflections might resonate with others.

Writing as Another Form of Leadership

What surprised me most was the response.

People didn’t ask for more data.

They connected with the stories.

And I realized—this, too, is leadership.

Not through authority, but through resonance.

Not through instruction, but through reflection.

If my earlier writing helped build organizations,

this kind of writing helps build understanding.

Delayed… or Evolved?

So was I a “delayed writer”?

Perhaps not.

Perhaps I was writing in one form, and now writing in another.

The earlier years gave me structure, discipline, and purpose.

These years give me freedom, depth, and voice.

Nothing was missing.

This is simply an evolution.