Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com
What happens when China, AI, and Western coaching collide? Dr. Ruohao Chen, leadership researcher at Columbia University, believes we have an unprecedented opportunity before us. In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with Dr. Chen what Americans and Chinese can learn from each other— and why the future of coaching and leadership may depend on blending ancient wisdom, human presence, and AI-enabled scale. Drawing on Dr. Chen’s research and work with 300 Chinese coaches, this conversation goes beyond the U.S.-China rivalry to ask a better question: what if the next leadership edge comes from learning across the divide?
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Chen’s path
- How a high school teacher in China rose to start an edtech company and become professor at Columbia University
- Gloom? Two reasons why Dr. Chen is optimistic about the the US and China relationship
- On American vs Chinese thinking: “In terms of culture we’re quite different, but in terms of nature we’re actually quite close to each other”
Dr. Chen’s early research
- What China’s education entrepreneurs do different: reserving money--and tapping into ancient philosophy and relational learning.
- How his research makes him a cross-cultural bridge, and offers valuable insight from China and the US in the era of AI
The growth of coaching in China
- Inner creativity, giving space, and deep reflection to come up with the “aha moment”: How Buddhist and Confucian teaching mirror the core tenets of Co-active coaching
- The “coaching club” that provides weekly seminars and workshops to 300 coaches in China
- “The care for human dignity” – what most surprises Chinese about Western coaches
- What China’s coaches find most valuable from their US peers: “the care for human dignity,” a systematic approach to coaching, and how to commercialize one’s practice
Insights from his current research
- “Not skill improvement, but a change in perspective”: The surprising insight from what most helped unemployed Chinese return to the workforce
- Will AI replace human beings and be more effective coaches?
- Situations where people prefer human coaches – and where AI has the biggest advantage
- Where his latest research on AI entrepreneurs is leading him
BIO AND LINKS
Dr. Ruohao Chen, is a leadership researcher and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Adult Learning & Leadership program at Teachers College, Columbia University. He holds an Ed.D. in Adult Learning & Leadership, and his work focuses on strategic thinking, transformative learning, and leadership development that integrates Eastern and Western wisdom. Dr. Chen designs and leads leadership development programs through the Huber Institute for Organizational Learning at Columbia University, attracting talented and experienced leaders from China and across Asia. He is a certified coach through the Columbia Coaching Program and served as the Paper Track Chair for the International Columbia Coaching Conference 2025. He previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Center on Chinese Education at Teachers College, consulted with Harvard Business Publishing, and founded Education for Growth, a global learning community of over 10,000 educators and practitioners. In 2023, he completed his doctorate and was selected as Teachers College’s commencement speaker, becoming the first Chinese graduate to deliver the address in the institution’s 136-year history. Outside of work, Dr. Chen is also a certified fitness trainer and an amateur cello player.
Connect with Dr. Ruohao Chen
Organizations, People and Resources Referenced
- The Columbia Adult Learning & Leadership Program: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/adult-learning-and-leadership/
- IShowSpeed, American influencer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IShowSpeed
- Resources on US vs China and cross-cultural thinking: Hofstede (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Hofstede ), Gelfland (https://www.michelegelfand.com ), Meyer (https://erinmeyer.com ), Dan Wong’s book Breakneck (https://amzn.eu/d/09Wr3Adj)
- Chen, R. (2024). How Chinese business leaders in the tutoring industry learned to think strategically in a time of crisis. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2024, 53–65. https://tc.academia.edu/LancerChan
- Chen, R. Pathways Toward Transformative Learning: Middle-aged Adults' Job Loss and Re-employment in Urban China. Adult Education Quarterly. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/aeq
- Chen, R. Transformative Learning in Isolation: A Phenomenological Study of Chinese Adults Navigating Uncertainty https://tc.academia.edu/LancerChan
- Chen, R. Could AI Coaching Platforms Really Work? A Systemic Analysis of Services, Design Patterns, and Effectiveness of AI Coaching Platforms https://tc.academia.edu/LancerChan
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