Crisis and Renewal: Reflections on Leadership, Empathy, and Resilience by a Global Entrepreneur from Taiwan

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By William Reimers

Some leadership books explain success. This one sits with you while you question it. Crisis and Renewal matters because it does not treat disruption as a problem to be solved quickly, but as a lived experience that reshapes people, values, and decisions over time. From the first pages, Steven Pan makes it clear that leadership is not about authority in calm moments, but about presence when certainty disappears.

This book doesn't feel urgent or flashy; it feels steady and reflective. Pan's moments of doubt, responsibility, and determination have a quiet emotional pull that makes the reader want to slow down and think with him. The effect is less about being told what to do and more about noticing familiar tensions, like the burden of making decisions that affect other people, the loneliness of being in charge, and the search for meaning after a crisis has passed.

This book isn't really about business plans; it's more about skills for people, like being resilient, understanding others, and starting over. These tips are useful not only for business and hospitality but also for other parts of your life. The lessons in business will make sense to people who have lost something, had their plans changed, or had to take on new responsibilities. When you renew, you don't have to go back to the way things were; you can choose to grow in a new way.

The writing style is calm, direct, and thoughtfully paced. Pan would rather think about things than show them, and he often uses short personal moments to ground bigger ideas. He leaves space between his thoughts so the reader can read them slowly and fully without having to rush. Some parts stand out because of simple things he says, like how to lead by listening or how a crisis is a mirror instead of an enemy.

Pan's thoughts on leading during times of uncertainty and his reminder that empathy is not weakness but strength practiced every day are two of the most memorable moments. Crisis and Renewal makes a lasting impression because it shows that leadership is a deeply human journey. It is worth reading not for quick fixes, but for the clarity that stays with you long after you finish.

About the Author 

S. Steven Pan

Steven Pan is a global entrepreneur, hotelier, investor and philanthropist whose career bridges East and West, business and humanity.

As Executive Chairman of Regent Taipei and the Silks Hotel Group, he has led organizations through economic crises, cultural transformation, and global disruption—discovering along the way that empathy, courage, and purpose are the true measures of leadership.

His new Forbes autobiography, Crisis and Renewal: Reflections on Leadership, Empathy, and Resilience, blends memoir and management insight. It shares the lessons Pan has learned from navigating uncertainty—from SARS, financial crisis, and the Covid-19 to reimagining the Regent brand for a new generation. The book offers an inside look at how values-based leadership can turn adversity into opportunity and sustain both people and performance.

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia Business School, Pan also serves as Trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation, Co-Chair of the Chancellor’s Asia Council and advises on organizational innovation. He is a member of the Board of Overseers at Columbia Business School.

Through his writing, speaking, and philanthropy, he continues to explore how empathy and long-term vision can help organizations—and individuals—renew themselves in times of change.