By Xin Yun Khor
Group Public Affairs Officer of Pharm-D Health Science
Chief Executive Officer of Pharm-Dx
In a world that often prizes dominant, visible authority, this quieter approach (quiet strength) is sometimes mistaken for weakness.
In the landscape of healthcare leadership, we often mistake the loudest voice for the most impactful one. We celebrate high-profile crises managed and visible milestones reached, but as I reflect this International Women’s Day, I am drawn to a different, more enduring power: Quiet Strength.
This is not the leadership of command, but of stewardship; the steady, often unseen work of building systems that outlast our own tenure and serve those who are frequently forgotten. In a world that often prizes dominant, visible authority, this quieter approach is sometimes mistaken for weakness. In reality, it is the most resilient form of power we have.
My understanding of this strength was forged not in a boardroom, but on the clinical floor.
I witnessed it in the tireless grace of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians who anchored the wards; women whose leadership was felt in the precision of their care rather than the volume of their voices. I felt it most acutely during a patient’s darkest hour: standing beside a woman silenced by a massive haemorrhagic stroke, or a woman sitting with a young father struggling to comprehend why a heart attack had claimed his health in his thirties.
In those moments, leadership isn’t a title: it is the quiet resilience required to hold space for a patient’s fear. It is the empathy to provide clarity amidst chaos, ensuring that the humanity of the individual is never lost to the clinical machinery.
As my career shifted toward my startup days and my work with the National Kidney Foundation and the Better Health Programme, I encountered a different test of quiet strength: the uphill battle for Preventive Care.
Unlike the “loud” world of acute treatment, which is urgent and immediate, prevention is a silent victory. It is the heart attack that didn’t happen; the kidney failure that was averted. Yet, the greatest challenge was often the low willingness to pay; society frequently views preventive health as a “want” or a luxury, rather than the fundamental need it truly is. We are also fighting against the human instinct for immediate gratification, asking people to invest in a future they cannot yet see.
Overcoming these difficult behavioral barriers doesn’t happen with a loud command; it happens through the quiet, persistent work of building trust, education, and systems that make the right choice the easiest choice. Leading in this space requires the quiet courage to value the invisible and the persistence to advocate for long-term wellness in a world conditioned for short-term fixes.
Building awareness and securing access for these underserved communities is a marathon run in the dark.
This journey of “the long watch” deepened through my work in rare diseases and chronic kidney care, these pathways are notoriously hard, long, and often devoid of a clear, immediate outcome. Building awareness and securing access for these underserved communities is a marathon run in the dark. It requires a specific kind of women leadership: one that balances empathy with accountability and urgency with prudence. It is the steady, unwavering advocacy that continues long after the headlines have moved on, rooted in the belief that every life, no matter how “rare,” deserves a system designed for their survival.
This “long watch” has been deeply informed by my life as a mother of three.
There is a profound parallel between the stewardship of a healthcare system and the stewardship of a family. In both, the most vital work is often the most invisible: the constant nurturing and the building of a foundation that allows others to flourish.
As a woman, the empathy I bring to my leadership is not a “soft skill” that diminishes my authority. Instead, it is the very engine of my commitment and strength.
As a woman, the empathy I bring to my leadership is not a “soft skill” that diminishes my authority. Instead, it is the very engine of my commitment and strength. My children are my constant reminder that the decisions I make in the boardroom have a shelf life that extends far beyond a quarterly report. When I look into their eyes, the “national responsibility” of
healthcare becomes deeply personal. It sharpens my sense of duty to ensure that the work we build today are sturdy enough to protect their tomorrow.
…True stewardship is the humility to build a legacy that does not require your presence to function.
Today, at Pharm-Dx and Pharm-D Health Science, my ultimate aim is to practice a leadership of stewardship that outlasts my own tenure. In a loud, dominant world, the “quiet” leader focuses on the invisible architecture: the strategies, the talent, and most importantly, a culture of openness, compassion and growth. This style of leadership is often underestimated because it does not seek the spotlight, but its impact compounds over time. In my opinion, true stewardship is the humility to build a legacy that does not require your presence to function.
Today, we honour women in healthcare not just for their loud accomplishments, but for their quiet persistence, for their ability to lead with conviction and compassion, to shape a future that is as resilient as it is inclusive.
About the Author
Xin Yun Khor is a healthcare leader with experience across the public, non-profit, and private sectors, with a strong track record in digital transformation, strategic advocacy, and health system building. She currently serves as Group Public Affairs Officer at Pharm-D Health Science Group, leading policy engagement and ecosystem partnerships, and is CEO of Pharm-Dx, driving digital access to quality medical nutrition and nutraceutical solutions. Previously, she was CEO of the National Kidney Foundation Malaysia, CEO of Walnut Wellness, and Head of Digital Health for the UK-funded Better Health Programme Malaysia. A pharmacist with an MBA, she has worked with the Ministry of Health Malaysia in clinical and policy roles. She is also a proud mother of three who enjoys travelling and sports.
