Cover Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong is the first Vietnamese person outside the overseas Vietnamese community to receive the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong is the first Vietnamese person outside the overseas Vietnamese community to receive the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
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Nguyen Thuy Phuong is the first graduate travelling from Vietnam to France to receive this award in the field of social sciences and humanities.
After completing her master’s and doctoral degrees in France, educator and consultant Nguyen Thuy Phuong has distinguished herself with a series of remarkable achievements. Notably, in 2018, Dr Nguyen Thuy Phuong became the first Vietnamese individual outside the overseas Vietnamese community to receive the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences. She is the first woman, and the first person from Vietnam to travel to France after university, to be honoured with this award in the field of social sciences and humanities.
Born into a family steeped in educational tradition, Dr Nguyen Thuy Phuong regards education as an instinctive way of life that shaped her career. At the age of 40, she followed her intuition once again, exploring a new professional path in coaching through the Mo2i™ coaching method. On the occasion of the launch of her translation of Intuition and Creative Instinct by Joel Guillon, we caught up with her. We discovered a woman of boundless passion and curiosity—drawn to understanding individuals from all walks of life, spanning diverse ages, experiences, cultures, languages, religions, positions, and professions.
Excellence is what we do so well that we don’t realise its value.
Above Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong, recipient of the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong, recipient of the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
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Ms Nguyen Thuy Phuong, before becoming a coach, you built a successful career as one of the first Asian people to win the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences. What inspired you to enter the field of coaching? Was there a defining moment that changed your life?
Consulting is a career that came to me as if it fell from the sky. There were two things that chose me—I did not choose them. The first was education. When I was pursuing my master’s degree in France, I specialised in Comparative Literature, focusing on Indochina. After several discussions with my professors, I had an intuition: I should keep the topic but pivot to a different field for my doctoral thesis. After some searching, I discovered the Faculty of Education—my topic was relevant to teaching and education. I attended free seminars, found a professor, and completed my doctoral thesis in Education. Once I entered the field, I felt no need to look elsewhere.
The second calling was coaching—something new and almost unintentional. Around 2018–2019, after receiving the award from the French Academy, I became the first woman and the first person from Vietnam to travel to France after university to receive this honour in the field of social sciences and humanities. Typically, award recipients are overseas Vietnamese who arrived in France at a young age or those in the natural sciences. As someone in the social sciences, it was even more challenging to earn this distinction. When I received the award, I didn’t even know its significance and had to confirm it with my professor.
After that, a question suddenly surfaced in my mind: “What will I do in 20 years?” It felt both existential and like a “hitting the ceiling” effect, having achieved such significant success by the age of 37 or 38. I had already won my first French award in the History of Education from my doctoral thesis. At the time, I was working at an intellectual property consultancy in Paris—a stable, well-paid role in a prestigious location. On the surface, it seemed perfect, but after two years, I found the job meaningless and painfully dull. I couldn’t imagine sitting there for another decade. I decided to act, to understand why I felt this way and to find a solution. Had I simply endured, I might have needed therapy by now. Prevention is better than cure! (laughs)
At that moment, I decided to pursue coaching. In the West, when people feel stuck—yet remain in good mental health, with no psychological issues requiring medical treatment—they often turn to a coach. It’s entirely normal. After just two days of the workshop, I felt as though my world had been turned upside down. It didn’t answer the question, “What will I do in 20 years?”—a question far too vast for any workshop to resolve—but it did lead me to unearth insights, challenge misconceptions, and confront hidden corners of my inner self. Those two days revealed: “So, I have this side to me that I never even realised.”
The method astonished me, and I was equally surprised by my own reaction. As an educator, whenever something piques my curiosity, I feel compelled to study it in depth. Just two weeks later, I decided to learn the method to become a coach myself—and I have been pursuing it ever since.
Above Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong, recipient of the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong, recipient of the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
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Nguyen Thuy Phuong, when you first began exploring the Mo2i method, did you struggle with doubts or inner conflict? Were there voices of opposition, fears holding you back?
At the time, I wasn’t consciously aware of it—I simply felt a deep compulsion, a kind of intuition. In hindsight, I realise that my decision to enrol in the course was the answer to my own question: “What will I do in 20 years?”
In fact, after those first two days of the workshop, I didn’t immediately recognise my “excellent domain.” Some people discover it instantly during coaching, but I was deeply sceptical—I didn’t believe I had one. The father of the method himself said it can be incredibly challenging to identify. Why? Because your “excellent domain” is something you do so naturally, so effortlessly, that you dismiss it as unremarkable—thinking, “There’s nothing exceptional about this.” It’s only when you reflect on past situations, noticing how you performed better than others in similar circumstances, that the realisation dawns. I didn’t recognise it at the time.
I’ve observed that many people project confidence on the outside, appearing capable and accomplished, yet feel hollow within. How does this relate to the “action self”?
I believe that’s a different matter. The “action self” describes how you act, not your state of mind. For instance, my action self is “initiating life projects in different and isolated contexts.” It says nothing about my inner state.
The Mo2i method draws on positive psychology, neuroscience, and self-narrative. It doesn’t ask, “Who are you?” but rather, “How do you perform well?” It avoids delving into the psychological dimension. This approach is humane, neutral, and entirely non-judgemental. Our way of acting is akin to a sharp knife—it can be good or bad, depending on its purpose.
However, if someone with low self-esteem seeks this method, I’ll naturally become aware of psychological factors during the process of uncovering their self-action, but I’ll temporarily set them aside. Once their self-action is understood, if they wish to address their self-esteem—let’s call it a “self-esteem balloon”—I can apply other coaching tools to help deflate it. The two aspects must be treated separately from the outset.
Imagine you possessed a “great domain” since you were 16 but didn’t realise it until your 40s. Wouldn’t you feel astonished—and perhaps regretful—that you had used it unconsciously for so many years?
So, what does the “action self” mean for each person’s life? Why should we seek to understand it?
The “action self” holds profound significance. This method doesn’t ask what you enjoy or desire. Instead, it says: “You’ve had a unique and exceptional way of acting since the age of 16, yet you remain unaware of it.” Most of us never identify or name our own way of acting. We must turn to a coach or interact with others to uncover it—rather like Aladdin’s magic lamp, buried deep within him, only revealing the genie when someone rubs it hard enough.
Some people don’t even believe they possess it. People such as you and I might feel certain we have it, yet remain unsure of what it truly is. This method delves deep into the roots of our behaviour. Imagine you’ve had a “great domain” since you were 16 years old, but now you’re 40 and still unaware of it. Wouldn’t you feel surprised—and regretful—realising you’ve been using it unconsciously all this time?
Take myself as an example. My modus operandi is to “initiate lifelong projects in different and isolated contexts.” If I were tasked solely with maintenance work—without the chance to initiate something new—I would fail. I simply lack the talent for maintaining projects. Before discovering this about myself, I had taken on maintenance work and struggled. In contrast, I thrive when engaged in truly “lifelong” projects—those with deep, long-term significance. Half-hearted, transient efforts don’t suit me. My activation context is both “different” (in terms of culture, religion, language) and “isolated” (characterised by distance, conflict, or rupture). Since childhood, I’ve lived and worked in diverse environments, and where others fear conflict and division, I feel at ease—confident in my ability to step in, resolve, and heal.
Before understanding this method, I experienced both success and failure but couldn’t identify the root causes. Now, with this “pair of glasses,” everything is clear. I failed that time because I focused on maintenance, not initiation. I stumbled then because the project lacked long-term significance. I succeeded when the context was different or isolated, and the project had lasting meaning.
Coaching is intangible, which often leads us to procrastinate.
Above Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong, recipient of the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
Dr. Nguyen Thuy Phuong, recipient of the Louis Cros Prize from the French Academy of Ethical and Political Sciences.
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In your work with clients, what have been some of the most memorable moments where you recognised your own areas of excellence?
This is a challenging question—each client is unique. Once, a middle-aged woman came to me in the midst of a crisis—confused, disoriented, and searching for a new compass for her life. She was incredibly brave, refusing to surrender to despair. I coached her for five or six months, during which she underwent major changes: moving to a new place, finding a new job, and not just any job, but a director-level position—far beyond her initial expectations. She achieved this by recognising and applying her method of action in the interview, performing even better than anticipated.
On another occasion, I worked with a 62-year-old French CEO of a family business who was approaching retirement. Strategic and powerful, she had been a lifelong leader, yet the prospect of retirement at 65 filled her with dread—she had never known life without work. My mentor assigned her case to me just after I graduated, assuring me he would continue to support her in later sessions. Though apprehensive, I accepted. After a few sessions, I transferred her back to my mentor to continue the process.
At the end of her journey, she remarked, “That coach opened my eyes to many things.” Initially, I wasn’t sure whether it was a compliment or a criticism. Later, my mentor explained—she was “too full” of fame, money, and power, yet felt empty and lost. He had chosen me precisely because I was her polar opposite: younger, a foreigner, from a different culture and religion. This “mirror effect” helped her recognise herself through our differences. By placing me in the right context to activate her method of action, my mentor ensured the coaching was effective, even though I lacked professional experience.
In Vietnam today, many people feel lost, unable to find meaning in their work or lives. How do you believe Mo2i can help them address this issue?
I’ve encountered many people who feel confused, stuck, and hesitant to embrace coaching for various reasons. I can’t help but see them squandering their life energy and potential. This resource—their method of action—has always been within them. It’s the very thing that has driven their successes and caused their failures. But without understanding it, they often blame others, circumstances, or themselves when things go wrong.
I do this work because it energises me—I draw immense strength from witnessing my clients’ journeys of overcoming challenges and rising above adversity. Coaching is a partnership, a relationship of mutual exchange. I often feel I receive far more than I give, and seeing the untapped potential in others go to waste drives me to continue. I want to help those who are ready—those willing to face themselves. Those who aren’t ready often claim they lack the time or money. Yet in truth, they haven’t yet dared to confront themselves.
We don’t own time, and money is rarely abundant, but when it comes to life’s essentials—such as self-development at pivotal stages—it must be the number one priority. Because coaching is intangible, people easily procrastinate. Yet if you are truly ready, solutions for time and money can always be found.
Recognising our own way of acting allows us to live authentically and stay aligned with our path of growth throughout life’s journey.
Recognising our own way of acting allows us to live authentically and stay aligned with our path of growth throughout life’s journey.
Knowing that you’re a mother, how do you apply Mo2i in the context of parenting? What does this method mean for parents?
Our way of acting is formed from birth to age 16 and rarely changes over time. It emerges from interactions with our environment, experiences of joy and sorrow, and lessons learned from school and life. As the saying goes, “I can’t relive my childhood,” so we cannot alter its roots.
That’s why parents play a crucial role—indirectly shaping their children’s way of acting. This influence is something we can—and must—do in time. For parents, this doesn’t mean our hands are tied. When we understand and “read” ourselves through the five phases of Mo2i, we can adjust and refine the way we utilise our own method of action.
So how can we positively influence our children? We return to the core principle of parenting: creating a safe and nurturing environment. But this doesn’t mean shielding them from all painful experiences. Life needs a full spectrum of emotions—joy, anger, love, and sorrow—to be complete.
The four key ingredients that shape a method of action are interaction, joyful experiences, painful experiences, and life lessons. All are essential. As adults, we must ensure that the “pot” used to “mould and marinate” these ingredients is clean, safe, and supportive. A method of action only becomes “bad” when used with the wrong intentions, values, or in the wrong context.
Thanks for the interview!
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