Thinh Ton: ASW Vietnam Global Leadership Awardee

Thinh’s curiosity about how things work has led him to flex his mental muscles as an Engineering Manager for our client partner, Sympli. Read about the books that have shaped his leadership style, how he brought a robot vacuum back to life, and why self-awareness is key to being a true leader.

1. Can you walk us through your career path and what led you to work at ASW Global?

I’ve worked in many different environments throughout my career. When I look back now, I feel grateful for all of them, because each chapter helped shape the person I am today. I had actually known about ASW Global for quite a long time before joining. One of my former colleagues once told me, “You should join us at ASW. You can really use your strengths and create value here.” That stayed with me, so I started learning more about the company.

A fun fact is that in Vietnam, there is a public website called ReviewCongTy, where people share feedback about their workplaces. At that time, ASW stood out to me because it had a very large number of reviews, but almost no negative feedback. I remember thinking, “How is that even possible?” That curiosity made me pay attention. A couple of years later, I was looking for a new opportunity and ASW was building a new team. Everything aligned at the right moment, and that is how I arrived here.

2. Can you tell us about your role on the Sympli account and what your day-to-day responsibilities look like?

I started on the Sympli account as a Technical Lead, and I’ve now been working as an Engineering Manager for the past six months.

A big part of my day is spent helping with delivery priorities, supporting technical discussions, and making sure communication between teams stays clear and effective. I also spend a lot of time on regular 1:1 catch-ups with team members. This is where leadership becomes personal and meaningful. My favorite part of the day is usually the afternoon when I can dive back into technical work, solve a problem, run an experiment, or explore a new technology.

3. Congratulations on being ASW Vietnam‘s Global Leadership Award winner! How would you describe your leadership style in 3 words?

Thank you. I’m still growing and refining my leadership style, but if I had to choose three words that guide me, they would be: Transparency, Integrity, and Growth. These are the principles I keep coming back to whenever I need to make a difficult decision or reflect on whether I am leading in the right way. I may continue evolving as a leader, but I believe those three values will always stay at the center of how I work with people and how I build teams.

4. How do you create a safe and engaging environment where team members feel supported?

You need the right motivation in your heart before applying any leadership technique. I genuinely want my team members to grow, to feel happy, to enjoy their work, and to become better after each day at work. When that is your true intention, it naturally shapes your words, your decisions, your reactions, and the kind of environment you create.

5. How do you handle pressure, especially as a leader?

When I first became a leader, I used to remind myself: when things feel heavy, it often means we’re climbing upward. If everything always feels easy, we might actually be slipping backward. That thought helped me reframe difficult moments.

Over time, I started treating difficult situations like math problems. There is a way through this, just keep working on it. That mindset is very important to me, because overthinking without action only creates more pressure.

I also believe we should not carry pressure alone. I’m very lucky to have a wonderful family and a wife who listens to me with so much patience. Sharing does not make you weaker. Very often, it helps you recover.

And finally, I strongly believe that mental strength depends a lot on physical health. In our industry, we often work with our minds all day, but the mind depends heavily on the body. If your physical energy is low, your mental resilience drops, too.

6. What skills or qualities do you think are becoming increasingly important for IT professionals in Vietnam?

Continuous learning and out-of-the-box thinking. The IT industry is changing at an incredibly fast pace. Technical professionals need to develop the skill of learning continuously, especially self-learning, and build a mindset that stays curious, adaptable, and ready to evolve. We are living in a period shaped by AI and major technological transformation. Many people focus only on learning new tools, but I think mindset comes first. Before shifting tools, we need to shift the way we think.

7. Outside of work, what are your hobbies or personal interests?

I’m just a naturally curious person who loves exploring how things work, especially anything technical or mechanical. Recently, I completely disassembled our Roborock vacuum into hundreds of “this was definitely a terrible idea” pieces. My wife took one look and declared, “Looks like we’re buying a new robot.” After two full days of careful reassembly, I was left with a suspicious pile of screws that had mysteriously lost their homes. But against all odds, I proved her wrong. The robot is still working perfectly!

Outside of my tinkering adventures, I also love playing badminton with my Sympli team every Monday after work. I cherish spending time with my family: morning runs with my wife, playing chess with my daughter, reading, listening to music, or simply enjoying quiet moments at home. Those are the things that matter most to me.

8. Who inspires you, personally and/or professionally?

My inspiration comes from a combination of many sources. That said, one book made a particularly strong impact on me: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma. It influenced me in a way that I could clearly feel, both personally and professionally.

What stayed with me is the idea that leadership is not limited to a title or position. It is a way of thinking, a way of acting, and a choice to take responsibility and create positive impact wherever you are.

9. What cultural values in Vietnam have shaped your work ethic?

Vietnamese culture places a strong value on learning. From a young age, many of us are taught to respect knowledge, work hard, and keep improving ourselves. It gave me the habit of always trying to learn, always trying to become a little better than I was yesterday.

Another value that has shaped me is resilience. Vietnamese people are very familiar with challenge, change, and hardship, and there is a quiet strength in how we keep going. I think that spirit has had a big impact on how I approach both work and life.

10. If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring leaders, what would it be?

Know yourself first and then be yourself. You need to understand what drives you, what you believe in, what kind of person you want to be, and what values will guide you. Once you know that, be yourself. Then your leadership becomes more genuine, more stable, and more inspiring to others.

Another book that helped me a lot is Search Inside Yourself by Chade Meng Tan. It helped me to understand myself more deeply, and I think that is one of the most important foundations of leadership.

My advice: Do not try too hard to become someone else’s version of a leader. Learn from others, yes. But build from the truth of who you are. That is where real leadership begins.