Christie Chung felt like “a fish out of water” when she transitioned from a cognitive psychology professor to an associate provost.
But in her new book, Chung says that feeling is not necessarily a bad thing — in fact, it can inspire you to become a better leader.
“Whenever there’s a challenge, there’s an opportunity for growth and for innovation,” says Chung, executive director of the Mills Institute at Northeastern University in Oakland and author of “Inspire to Lead: Bridging Mind, Culture, and People.”
“Leadership is a journey,” Chung continues. “It’s a growth journey.”
Chung is a longtime cognitive psychologist and professor who studies how memory processes change as people grow older, especially age-related emotional memory processing across cultures around the world.
Her career trajectory changed, however, when she became a senior leader at Mills College and helped shepherd its future and advance its legacy.
“In some ways I felt like I was living in two different worlds,” Chung says. “So the reason why I wrote this book is because I really wanted to bring those two worlds together.”
The result is “Inspire to Lead.”
The book uses Chung’s INSPIRE method, which she has developed over years as a leader and executive coach. Chung also was recently recognized by Bay Area television station KRON4 as a recipient of a 2025 Remarkable Women award.
Chung breaks down the word (her “favorite word”) into an acronym — the letter “I” stands for ‘interest;” “N” for “nurture;” “S” for “safe space;” “P” for “personal;” “I” for “invest;” “R” for “respect;” and “E” for “elevate” — and devotes a chapter to exploring each letter or “pillar” of the model.
In addition, she weaves in personal anecdotes — Chung was born in Hong Kong when it was under British rule; educated in the U.K., Canada and the United States; and taught for nearly two decades before becoming associate provost. She adds a touch of psychological theory to elaborate on each pillar and leaves room for readers to reflect and brainstorm.
Chung says the book can be helpful for anyone who is — or wants to become — a leader or inspire others.
“We need people to understand that being a leader doesn’t just mean telling people what to do. It means to inspire and motivate people to do more and be more,” Chung says. “We need strong, compassionate and innovative leaders who can uplift people around them and shape a bright future for all.”