Japan's Top Business Interviews Podcast By Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan

"My career, I like to say, is about saving the world one word at a time." "I love team building. I love creating something from nothing or growing it further." "Creating connection and engagement with people" is one of the hardest parts of leading remotely. "You need to show the vision, where you're going, and why that matters." "Leadership is really about unlocking the potential and power of those who report to you." Meghan Barstow is President of Edelman Japan, bringing a career defined by language, communications, adaptability and cross-cultural leadership. Her Japan story began thirty years earlier when she studied Japanese at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka after intensive language training in the United States. With an academic background in English literature and Japanese, she describes herself as "a woman who loves words," a phrase that neatly captures her professional journey. After university, Barstow returned to Japan through the JET Program, spending three years in rural Kagoshima as an ALT and CIR. That immersive experience deepened both her Japanese language capability and her understanding of regional Japan. She later worked for Hyogo Prefecture's business and cultural centre in Seattle, taught Japanese at a public high school, and returned to Tokyo to create business English textbooks before entering PR and communications through Adcom Group's Tri Media. Her career with Edelman began in Japan on the healthcare team when the office was still relatively small. She later moved to the United States, took time to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, and rejoined Edelman in Washington, D.C., where she developed her leadership capabilities across client leadership, sector leadership and employee experience. Her long-held ambition was to return to Japan and lead an office. She eventually came back as President of Edelman Japan, taking on the challenge of leading more than seventy people during the COVID era, much of it remotely. Barstow's leadership context is shaped by global communications, Japanese cultural fluency, remote transformation, employee engagement, trust-building and organisational change. Her adaptability in Japan comes not from a single posting, but from repeated immersion, reinvention and a deep belief that words, trust and human connection sit at the centre of effective leadership. Meghan Barstow's leadership story is a study in language, mobility, resilience and change. As President of Edelman Japan, she leads an organisation at the intersection of communications, marketing, trust, earned attention and cultural transformation. Her path to Japan did not begin with the usual clichés of pop culture or food. Instead, it began with a love of travel, a willingness to take on difficult languages and a desire to build a career through communication. Her first deep experience of Japan came as a student at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka. Later, through the JET Program, she spent three years in rural Kagoshima, an experience that gave her more than language ability. It gave her the kind of cultural immersion that helps a foreign leader understand Japan beyond Tokyo boardrooms. She went on to work in cultural exchange, education, publishing and eventually PR, where she discovered that communications felt like her "calling." Barstow's return to Japan as Edelman's country leader came after significant leadership experience in the United States, particularly in Washington, D.C. Yet the move back was not simply a geographic transfer. She returned to a Japan office undergoing transformation, in an industry where the boundaries between PR, marketing, advertising, digital and corporate communications had become increasingly blurred. Edelman's value proposition, as she explains it, lies in being independent, family-owned, grounded in earned attention and differentiated by decades of research into trust through the Edelman Trust Barometer. Her biggest challenge was not only strategy. It was connection. She took on the role during COVID and had not met most of her employees face to face. Leading a team of more than seventy people remotely required deliberate communication, listening and repetition. She used all-staff business updates, weekly written roundups, one-on-one meetings, roundtables, strategy workshops and "strategy spotlight" sessions to make the direction tangible. In Japan, where uncertainty avoidance, consensus and nemawashi matter, remote transformation made alignment even harder. Barstow's approach to change management is grounded in clarity, role modelling and personal experience. She believes leaders must show the vision, explain why it matters, gain manager buy-in and give employees direct experiences of the new strategy. This is especially important in Japan, where change can feel risky because it moves people from competence into uncertainty. The challenge is not simply to announce direction, but to help people understand it emotionally and practically. Her leadership style is also shaped by trust. She recognises that trust in Japan is hard-won, takes time and becomes even more difficult in a remote environment. She sees consistency, integrity, care and communication as central to building it. Employee engagement surveys, business performance metrics and informal feedback help her understand whether the organisation is moving, but she also recognises that Japanese survey responses can be culturally restrained. For her, improvement over time matters more than absolute scores. Her view of leadership is ultimately humble and enabling. She sees the leader's role not as personal heroics, but as unlocking the potential of others. Sometimes the leader stands in front, showing the way. Sometimes beside people, supporting them step by step. Sometimes behind them, cheering them forward. For foreign executives in Japan, her lesson is clear: the fundamentals of leadership may be universal, but the path to alignment, buy-in and trust requires patience, listening, nemawashi and respect for how decisions are actually made. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan requires a careful balance between hierarchy and bottom-up consensus. Meghan Barstow observes that people may defer to the leader and expect direction, while also expecting decisions to emerge through wider involvement and alignment. This creates a leadership paradox for foreign executives. They must provide vision and direction without bypassing the consensus-building process that helps people feel ownership. Japan's business culture places high value on listening, patience, nemawashi and relationship-based trust. Leaders need to spend more time preparing the ground before pushing major initiatives forward. This is not simply politeness. It is a practical requirement for gaining commitment and avoiding resistance. In Barstow's experience, one-on-one listening, roundtables and repeated communication are essential to helping people understand both the logic and emotional meaning of change. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives often struggle in Japan because they underestimate how much time alignment takes. In faster-moving Western environments, a leader may announce a strategy and expect the organisation to move. In Japan, the message may need to be repeated, discussed, localised and validated through multiple channels before people fully commit. Barstow's own challenge was intensified by remote work. She was leading more than seventy people, yet had not met most of them face to face. That made trust-building, employee engagement and emotional connection much harder. Global executives may also misread employee engagement data, because Japanese respondents often score more conservatively than employees in other markets. Barstow therefore focuses less on comparing Japan with global averages and more on whether the organisation is improving over time. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Japan is often described as risk-averse, but Barstow's experience suggests the issue is more nuanced. The deeper challenge is uncertainty avoidance. People may hesitate when change pushes them out of a known area of competence into a new environment where they may make mistakes or lose face. This is particularly important in Japan's quality-conscious, defect-sensitive culture. For leaders, the answer is not to criticise caution. It is to reduce uncertainty through explanation, involvement, repetition and evidence of progress. Barstow emphasises the importance of showing the vision, explaining why it matters and giving people personal experiences of the change. When employees see that a new way of working succeeds with clients or improves outcomes, the change becomes real rather than abstract. What leadership style actually works? Barstow's leadership style combines strategic clarity, listening, humility and persistence. She began her tenure by preserving existing communication rhythms, then spent her first months listening through one-on-ones and roundtables. After understanding what employees wanted and needed, she built a communication and engagement plan around strategy, business updates and practical learning. She also recognises the importance of the "frozen middle" — the layer of managers who can either accelerate or block transformation. In Japan, leaders need managers to champion the change, role model new behaviours and translate strategy into daily practice. A leadership style that works is therefore not only top-down. It is distributed, repeated and reinforced through many small touchpoints. How can technology help? Technology can support leadership, but it cannot replace human trust. Barstow used remote platforms, written updates, engagement dashboards, survey tools and virtual roundtables to maintain communication during COVID. These tools created visibility when informal office interactions disappeared. Written communication also helped employees absorb messages at their own pace, especially in a multilingual environment. Technology can also improve decision intelligence by giving leaders more data about employee engagement, business performance and organisational change. In the future, tools such as digital twins of organisational workflows could help leaders model bottlenecks, workload pressures or collaboration patterns. However, Barstow's experience shows that technology only helps when paired with listening, empathy and human interpretation. Does language proficiency matter? Language proficiency matters, but cultural fluency matters even more. Barstow's Japanese study, rural JET Program experience and repeated periods living and working in Japan gave her a deeper foundation than a short-term expatriate assignment would have provided. Her language background helped her connect with Japan, but her leadership effectiveness also comes from understanding context, patience and communication style. She also recognises that English can be challenging in remote settings, even for capable bilingual professionals. Written updates, clear repetition and structured communication help ensure people can process complex information. For foreign leaders, language ability is valuable, but the bigger issue is whether employees feel understood, respected and included. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate leadership lesson from Barstow's experience is that leadership is about unlocking the potential and power of others. She does not see leadership as being centred on the leader's ego. Rather, it is about helping people grow, strengthening organisational capability and creating conditions where others can succeed. Her definition of leadership is flexible. Sometimes leaders must lead from the front, showing the way. Sometimes they stand side by side, supporting people closely. Sometimes they lead from behind, encouraging and cheering others forward. In Japan, the most effective leaders combine vision with patience, courage with humility and strategy with the deep human work of trust-building. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"Behind every number, there is a leader." "If you are a player as well as a coach… that's the single best way to actually have the credibility." "I take the blame. You know, you guys take the credit." "To unlock creativity… protect the odd ideas." "A true leader is somebody who can inspire individual team members to be better than themselves." Jesper Koll has been in Japan since 1985, when he arrived as a PhD researcher studying global finance. What began as an academic year at Kyoto University became a long-term professional and personal commitment to Japan. Over the decades, he built a distinguished career as one of Japan's most recognised economic and investment commentators, including senior roles as Chief Economist and Chief Strategist at Merrill Lynch Japan and Head of Research at JPMorgan. He has also worked in hedge funds, built his own company, and moved between large institutions and smaller entrepreneurial environments. His career arc reflects a deep adaptability to Japan's business culture, an ability to interpret Japan for global markets, and a leadership style grounded in credibility, humility, local insight, and trust. Jesper Koll's leadership philosophy is rooted in one central belief: in Japan, numbers alone never tell the full story. Behind every figure sits a leader, a team, a community, and a set of relationships that must be understood before meaningful judgement can be made. His experience leading highly skilled research teams in Japan taught him that the Anglo-American model of purely empirical, numbers-first analysis was insufficient in the Japanese context. In Japan, insight came not only from data, but from the human relationships that allowed analysts to understand the people behind the companies they covered. Koll argues that foreign executives in Japan must not assume that global best practice can simply be transferred into Tokyo. What works in New York, London, or Hong Kong will not necessarily work in Japan. The most successful leaders understand the importance of local adaptation. They defend the Japanese way of doing things to headquarters rather than merely transmitting headquarters' orders to Japan. This is where concepts such as nemawashi, consensus-building, ringi-sho, and uncertainty avoidance become important. They are not obstacles to leadership; they are part of the operating system leaders must learn to respect and use intelligently. His own credibility as a leader came from being both a player and a coach. As head of research, he still wrote reports, met clients, appeared on television, spoke at conferences, answered difficult questions, and risked being wrong in public. This gave him standing among a team of highly specialised, confident, and sometimes prima donna analysts. Leadership, for Koll, was not about title or positional power. It was about showing that he could perform, protect the team, make others look good, and take responsibility when things went wrong. Trust, in his view, is created through consistency, humility, and one-on-one relationships. He believes leaders should give credit to the team and take blame themselves. He also stresses the importance of psychological safety, especially in Japan, where fear of failure can limit creativity. Koll deliberately discussed his own mistakes and encouraged analysts to examine failed reports, not as shameful episodes but as learning opportunities. This approach helped reduce defensiveness and made it easier for talented people to speak openly. Creativity, he believes, exists in Japanese teams just as it does anywhere else. The challenge is unlocking it. In brainstorming, the leader must protect unusual ideas and the people who offer them. The outlier, the odd thinker, the person who challenges the consensus may hold the breakthrough. A strong leader prevents early judgement from killing ideas before they can evolve. Koll also cautions against superficial engagement rituals. Going drinking with the team may work for some leaders, but only if it is authentic. People recognise insincerity quickly. Real engagement comes from emotional intelligence, individual attention, and demonstrating that the leader genuinely manages for the team rather than simply managing upward. Ultimately, Koll defines leadership as inspiring individual team members to become better than themselves. In Japan, that means balancing global standards with local realities, protecting the team while challenging them, respecting hierarchy while creating trust, and turning one plus one into three. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is unique because relationships sit behind performance. Koll stresses that data, analysis, and results matter, but they are never enough by themselves. In Japan, the leader must understand the people, teams, and communities behind the numbers. This is especially important because Japanese companies often do not market themselves aggressively or explain their strengths in the polished style common in the United States. The leader must therefore uncover the real story through trust, observation, and long-term relationship-building. Concepts such as nemawashi, consensus, ringi-sho, and hierarchy are not simply bureaucratic customs; they shape how trust is built and how decisions move. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives struggle when they assume that headquarters' methods can be imposed unchanged on Japan. Koll is clear that "our way or the highway" does not work. The foreign leader's natural advantage is the connection to headquarters, but that advantage can be used well or badly. If the leader simply says yes to New York or London, the local team will quickly lose trust. If the leader defends Japan's way of working and helps headquarters understand local realities, credibility grows. The best leaders translate in both directions: they make global strategy understandable locally and make local intelligence valuable globally. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Koll's comments suggest that Japan is less risk-averse than often assumed, but more sensitive to failure, judgement, and uncertainty. In analytical teams, mistakes are inevitable. A good analyst may be right only slightly more than half the time. The issue is not avoiding error, but learning from it. In Japan, where failure can carry stigma, the leader must create psychological safety. Koll did this by openly discussing his own wrong forecasts and encouraging others to analyse mistakes without shame. In this sense, the real leadership challenge is not risk avoidance but uncertainty avoidance: helping people act, learn, and improve even when outcomes are not guaranteed. What leadership style actually works? The leadership style that works is humble, credible, protective, and performance-based. Koll believes leaders must be player-coaches. They must show they can perform the work, face clients, take difficult questions, and contribute directly to results. At the same time, they must give credit to team members and take blame themselves. This combination is powerful in Japan because people watch leaders closely. They notice whether the leader's actions match the message. A leader who protects the team, supports dissenters, and makes others look good earns lasting trust. How can technology help? Technology helps when it supports better process, decision intelligence, and organisational learning, but it does not replace human judgement. Koll described how even a change in production deadlines or software systems could create major disruption because people had deeply embedded ways of working. The leadership task is to manage these transitions firmly and respectfully. In modern terms, tools such as decision intelligence, digital twins, workflow analytics, and AI-supported reporting can help teams understand trade-offs, test scenarios, and improve execution. However, technology only works when leaders respect the human side of adoption: habits, pride, expertise, and fear of disruption. Does language proficiency matter? Koll learned Japanese early, during his time as a student in Kyoto, and that gave him a strong foundation. However, he does not argue that every foreign leader must become fully fluent to succeed. More important is the ability to build relationships with customers, understand the local business environment, and help the team deliver results. Language helps, but humility, curiosity, and direct engagement with clients matter more. A leader who cannot speak perfect Japanese but can make the team look good, win customer trust, and represent Japan effectively to headquarters can still succeed. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate leadership lesson is that leaders exist to make others better. Koll defines a true leader as someone who inspires individual team members to become better than themselves. That requires trust, courage, humility, and emotional intelligence. It also requires the ability to select lieutenants wisely, balance different personalities, protect odd ideas, and celebrate periods when the team is simply performing well. Leadership is not constant disruption. Sometimes the right move is to recognise that the team is "in the zone" and preserve momentum. The best leader helps the team become more than the sum of its parts. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"The amount of time you need to spend listening in Japan is very high." "You have to turn up your EQ sensitivity or your EQ radar very, very high." "No matter what, love it." "Feedback should be ninety percent positive." "Leadership is achieving the organisation's goal by maximising the potential of your team." Paul Kraft is the Country Manager for Haribo in Japan and a seasoned food and beverage executive whose career has crossed global brands, entrepreneurial ventures, and distributor-led market development. His relationship with Japan began when he first visited in 1991 on a school trip after studying finance and economics, and he later returned to Osaka to teach English before building his early career in the United States as a product and brand manager in the frozen food sector. Starbucks then recruited him to establish its consumer packaged goods office in Tokyo, where his team expanded the brand beyond coffee shops into convenience store cup coffee, canned coffee, and dry coffee formats. He later launched Honey Baked Ham in Japan through an omnichannel strategy covering food service, retail, and online sales, before joining Nespresso to lead the business-to-business group serving hotels, restaurants, and off-premise clients. At Haribo, Kraft became the company's first person on the ground in Japan, guiding the distributor, shaping strategy, and acting as the bridge between the Japanese market and the global organisation. His career arc reflects adaptability in Japan: learning when to push, when to listen, when to use nemawashi, how to reduce uncertainty, and how to lead through consensus, precedent, relationship depth, and trust. Paul Kraft's leadership journey in Japan is a practical study in how global executives must adapt ambition, speed, and commercial logic to a business culture that places deep value on patience, consensus, trust, and emotional intelligence. His connection with Japan began in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Japanese business influence was highly visible internationally. Toyota, Japanese management methods, and major Japanese investments overseas created a sense that understanding Japan was essential for future business leaders. Kraft studied finance and economics, visited Japan for the first time in 1991, and fell in love with the country. After graduating, he returned to Osaka to teach English before moving back to the United States and entering the food business. His early food career gave him broad commercial exposure. He worked as a product and brand manager for a privately held frozen food company, handling brands across categories such as ice cream, pizza, and frozen egg rolls. He also gained experience in research, brand management, and mergers and acquisitions. The turning point came when Starbucks recruited him to return to Japan and set up a consumer packaged goods office in Tokyo. Within three months, he sold his cars, sold his house, gave away his tools, and moved to Japan. It was a decisive commitment to the market. At Starbucks, Kraft's team was responsible for everything outside the coffee shops, including convenience store cup coffee, canned coffee, different drinks, and packaged coffee products. Japan's vast convenience store network meant the business could scale dramatically. At one point, he believed Starbucks may have been selling more cups of coffee outside the stores than inside them. Yet the opportunity came with culture shock. Kraft encountered long, meandering meetings with Japanese partners where the purpose was not necessarily to decide, but to discuss. Coming from a Western business environment that valued agendas, pre-reads, data, speed, and explicit outcomes, he found this difficult. Partners might resist data, avoid firm conclusions, or reject new ideas because they had no precedent. This introduced one of Kraft's central leadership lessons: frustration management is a business skill in Japan. He admits that in his early years he sometimes relied too much on visible frustration or forceful leadership. He learned that anger in Japan is not usually interpreted as strength. It is often seen as weak self-control, poor maturity, low self-awareness, and a failure to read the group. In a culture shaped by uncertainty avoidance and consensus, the leader who becomes known as a hothead loses influence. Kraft's next major chapter, Honey Baked Ham, tested his entrepreneurial instincts. He cold-called the CEO of the American family-owned chain and convinced the company to support a Japan launch. The concept was unfamiliar in a market where honey-baked ham did not have obvious precedent. Kraft built an omnichannel model covering food service, a physical store, and online sales. He worked with local financial backers, freelancers, part-time staff, and a very lean team. The leadership challenge was not just selling a product, but selling belief. To attract employees and customers, he had to tell the story of the brand, offer the product directly, and reduce the perceived risk of joining or buying into something new. In Japan, he found that new ideas often need a "Japanese stamp of approval". For Honey Baked Ham, that stamp came from the New Otani Hotel. Once the product was accepted by a respected, traditional, luxury Japanese hotel, the market could interpret it differently. It was no longer merely a foreign idea. It had local legitimacy. This is decision intelligence in a Japanese setting: understanding that data alone is not enough if social proof, trust signals, respected reference points, and emotional confidence are missing. At Nespresso, Kraft moved from entrepreneurial uncertainty into a highly structured global organisation. Nespresso, as part of Nestlé, had strong processes, operational discipline, monthly reviews, and clear accountability systems. Kraft led the business-to-business group, serving hotels, restaurants, and off-premise clients. There, he focused on weekly one-on-ones, feedback, and structure. He maintained regular conversations with direct reports, taking notes, sharing updates, listening to their updates, and discussing future deliverables. He also saw the value of monthly operational reviews where commitments were visible and specific: who would do what by when. Red, yellow, and green status tracking created accountability, but it also required leaders to prevent people from setting themselves up to fail. At Haribo, Kraft now leads largely through influence. Haribo had existed in Japan for decades through distributors, but Kraft became the first person representing the company directly on the ground. His role is to guide the distributor, shape strategy, interpret the Japanese market for the global organisation, and influence outcomes without necessarily controlling every lever. This is leadership through relationship rather than hierarchy. For Kraft, the answer lies in patience, small-group influence, and nemawashi. Large meetings with many distributor representatives are rarely where minds are changed. The real work happens in smaller conversations, offline follow-ups, and repeated explanations of why something matters. Across the interview, Kraft's leadership philosophy is consistent. He advocates weekly one-on-ones, positive feedback, careful listening, written notes, high EQ, and learning Japanese. He believes leaders should look for people doing things right and tell them specifically. He also believes leaders should encourage initiative, especially in Japan, where proposing an idea can itself be a courageous act. Ultimately, Kraft defines leadership as achieving the organisation's goal by maximising the potential of the team. In Japan, that means leading with EQ rather than ego, using structure without crushing people, building consensus without losing accountability, and understanding that influence is earned through patience, presence, and trust. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is unique because authority alone is rarely enough to move people, partners, or organisations. Kraft's experience shows that Japan places heavy emphasis on consensus, precedent, trust, and the emotional readiness of the group. A meeting may not be designed to make a decision in the Western sense. It may be designed to exchange views, test reactions, identify resistance, and prepare the ground for a later decision. This can frustrate executives who arrive expecting agendas, data, pre-reads, and immediate outcomes. However, in Japan, the visible meeting is often only one part of the decision-making process. The real work may occur before and after the formal meeting. This is where nemawashi becomes essential. Rather than forcing a decision in front of a large group, effective leaders work privately with stakeholders, listen to their concerns, explain the reason behind the proposal, and create alignment before asking for visible agreement. In some organisations, this may connect to formal mechanisms such as ringi-sho, where written proposals circulate for approval. Even when ringi-sho is not used formally, the underlying cultural logic remains: people want to avoid surprises, protect relationships, and reduce uncertainty before committing. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives struggle in Japan when they assume that leadership methods which worked elsewhere will automatically work here. Kraft describes coming from a Western environment where meetings were purposeful, decisions were expected, and data played a central role. In Japan, he encountered long discussions without agendas, partners who were not prepared to discuss data, and resistance to ideas because they had never been done before. For a Western leader, this can look inefficient or evasive. For Japanese counterparts, it may reflect caution, uncertainty avoidance, and the desire to avoid exposing the group to visible failure. Another reason global executives struggle is emotional pacing. Kraft admits that his own frustration management was a multi-year learning process. Early in his Japan career, he sometimes believed that a leader had to pound the table, push harder, or force things to happen. Over time, he realised that visible anger usually weakens credibility in Japan. It may be interpreted as poor self-control, low maturity, insufficient self-awareness, or an inability to operate inside the group. Leaders who become known as hotheads lose influence. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Kraft's experience suggests that Japan is not simply risk-averse; it is highly sensitive to uncertainty, precedent, and failure visibility. People may resist new ideas not because they dislike innovation, but because they cannot forecast the outcome, cannot point to a precedent, or cannot see how failure will be managed. His Starbucks orange mocha example illustrates this clearly. Even with data and enthusiasm, Japanese counterparts resisted because they could not forecast something that had never been done before. The absence of precedent made the idea difficult to accept. At Honey Baked Ham, Kraft had to reduce uncertainty on multiple fronts. He needed employees to believe in a small start-up-like venture, customers to accept an unfamiliar product, and business partners to see legitimacy in the concept. He did this through storytelling, product sampling, financial backing, and visible local validation. The New Otani Hotel became a crucial Japanese stamp of approval. Once a respected Japanese institution accepted the product, the perceived risk fell. This is a useful lesson for leaders: in Japan, risk is often managed through social proof, credibility markers, and trusted reference points. Decision intelligence in Japan requires more than analysis. It requires understanding how people feel safe enough to act. What leadership style actually works? The leadership style that works in Japan is patient, structured, emotionally intelligent, and specific. Kraft repeatedly returns to the importance of weekly one-on-ones. He used them not as casual check-ins, but as disciplined leadership routines. He wrote down the person's name, the date, his update, their update, the future focus, and the deliverables. Over time, this built trust and created a rhythm of communication. In Japan, where employees may hesitate to speak up in larger forums, one-on-ones provide a safer space for concerns, ideas, and coaching. Kraft also emphasises feedback, especially positive feedback. He argues that feedback should be ninety percent positive. This does not mean avoiding problems. It means noticing specific behaviours that should continue and reinforcing them. At Nespresso, Kraft also saw the value of structured accountability. Monthly operational reviews asked who would do what by when, using red-yellow-green status tracking. This helped cut through ambiguity and group responsibility. The most effective style is not soft consensus or hard command. It is a combination of empathy, structure, clarity, and support. How can technology help? Technology can help leadership in Japan when it reduces uncertainty, improves shared understanding, and supports better decision-making. Kraft's career points repeatedly to the importance of data, forecasting, operational reviews, and structured follow-up. At Starbucks, he wanted data-driven conversations with partners. At Nespresso, process and dashboards made accountability visible. At Haribo, he works in a market where convenience stores are highly sophisticated and retail execution depends on understanding channels, forecasts, and consumer behaviour. Modern tools such as retail analytics, AI-supported forecasting, digital twins, scenario planning dashboards, and decision intelligence platforms can be powerful in Japan because they allow teams to test ideas before committing. In a high-consensus culture, technology can create a shared factual base. It can help people compare options, visualise consequences, and reduce the fear of the unknown. Digital twins, for example, can allow leaders to model supply chain, distribution, retail placement, or product launch scenarios without requiring immediate real-world commitment. This can lower emotional resistance and make decisions feel safer. However, technology cannot replace trust. In Japan, data may be necessary, but it is rarely sufficient. Leaders must still explain the why, conduct nemawashi, listen to objections, and create confidence among stakeholders. Does language proficiency matter? Language proficiency matters in Japan because it signals respect, commitment, and seriousness. Kraft says leaders should try to learn Japanese, even if they do not become fluent. Fluency helps a leader catch nuance, understand emotional tone, and communicate directly with employees, partners, and distributors. It also helps reduce the distance that can exist between a foreign executive and a Japanese team. In a market where trust is built slowly, the effort to learn the language can itself become a stamp of approval. That said, Kraft does not suggest that language ability alone makes someone an effective leader. A fluent but impatient leader can still fail. A non-fluent but humble, consistent, and respectful leader can still build trust. The key is effort. Trying to learn Japanese shows that the executive is not merely passing through. It shows they are willing to adapt to the local context, not simply demand that the local context adapt to them. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate leadership lesson from Kraft's experience is that leaders in Japan must maximise people's potential by building trust, reducing uncertainty, and communicating with discipline. His definition is clear: leadership is achieving the organisation's goal by maximising the potential of the team. That requires more than setting targets. It requires creating the conditions in which people can contribute, speak up, try ideas, receive feedback, and accept accountability without fear of humiliation. Kraft's career shows that Japan rewards leaders who can operate as bridges. At Starbucks, he bridged global brand ambition and Japanese retail realities. At Honey Baked Ham, he bridged an unfamiliar American food concept and Japanese legitimacy signals. At Nespresso, he bridged global process discipline and local team development. At Haribo, he bridges headquarters, distributor partners, retailers, and the Japanese market. The best leaders in Japan do not abandon ambition. They adapt how ambition is communicated and implemented. They listen longer, give more positive feedback, use smaller meetings, manage their frustration, explain the why, and build consensus before demanding action. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"Very few people in finance can make a declarative sentence." "If you can scale your message from thirty seconds to three minutes, you've got it made." "We want to only do legal business, it has to be rewarding, and it has to be fun." You have to sit on your hands in Japan — silence doesn't mean failure." "The Japanese want to be recognised as individuals, not as 'we Japanese'." Frank Packard is the Founder and President of AAA Partners Japan, a Tokyo-based firm specialising in fund placement and financial advisory. Born in Japan and educated in the United States, including at Princeton University, Packard began his career on Wall Street before returning to Japan during the 1980s financial boom. His career spans major institutions including Payne Webber, Drexel Burnham, Bankers Trust, Bank of America, and HSBC, with leadership roles across Tokyo and Hong Kong. Over nearly four decades, he has built deep expertise in project finance, private equity, and cross-border investment. Known for his practical leadership philosophy and adaptability, Packard has navigated multiple financial cycles, regulatory changes, and cultural environments, ultimately building his own entrepreneurial platform in Japan. Frank Packard's leadership journey is a study in adaptability, communication clarity, and cultural navigation. Growing up in Japan before returning as a finance professional during the 1980s boom, he experienced firsthand the intersection of global capital and Japanese business practices. His early insight—that the ability to communicate clearly is a competitive advantage—became a cornerstone of his career. In industries filled with technical complexity, Packard differentiated himself by simplifying ideas and delivering them with precision. His leadership style evolved through exposure to different markets. In Tokyo, he challenged hierarchical norms by adopting open-plan team structures decades before they became standard. Sitting alongside his team rather than above them, he fostered collaboration and transparency, disrupting traditional expectations of authority. This approach reflected a broader philosophy: leadership is not about position, but about proximity and shared accountability. Packard also developed a nuanced understanding of Japanese workplace dynamics. He recognised that beneath the perception of uniformity lies strong individuality. Rather than forcing Western-style engagement, he adapted by allowing relationships to develop organically. This aligns closely with practices like nemawashi and consensus-building, where trust is cultivated gradually rather than asserted. His experience across Tokyo and Hong Kong highlighted the importance of context in leadership. While Japan required patience and sensitivity to silence and ambiguity, Hong Kong demanded navigation of cultural tensions and competitive dynamics among multinational teams. These contrasting environments reinforced his belief that leadership must be situational, not formulaic. Entrepreneurially, Packard demonstrated resilience by pivoting through financial crises and regulatory shifts. The introduction of Japan's Financial Instruments Exchange Law reshaped his business model, pushing him toward a highly compliant, dual-licensed structure that allowed flexibility in revenue streams. His mantra—legal, rewarding, and fun—guided decision-making and client selection, reinforcing both ethical standards and cultural fit. A defining element of his leadership is empowerment. By pushing team members to gain qualifications and take ownership of client relationships, he expanded their capabilities and engagement. This reflects elements of decision intelligence, where informed individuals contribute to better outcomes rather than relying solely on hierarchical direction. Ultimately, Packard's career illustrates that success in Japan requires more than technical expertise. It demands cultural fluency, patience with ambiguity, and a commitment to building trust over time. His approach blends Western directness with Japanese sensitivity, creating a hybrid leadership model suited to an increasingly globalised business environment. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is shaped by subtlety, patience, and a strong emphasis on consensus. Unlike Western environments driven by urgency and individual assertion, Japanese organisations often rely on processes like nemawashi and ringi-sho to build agreement. Packard highlights the importance of silence, noting that pauses in conversation are not signs of failure but part of the decision-making rhythm. Leaders must resist the urge to fill gaps and instead allow space for reflection. Why do global executives struggle? Many global executives struggle because they misinterpret cultural signals. The assumption that Japan is homogeneous leads to missed opportunities to connect on an individual level. Additionally, Western communication styles—particularly sarcasm or vague commitments—can undermine trust. Packard emphasises the need for precision in language and expectations, as ambiguity can create misunderstanding in cross-cultural contexts. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Packard challenges the stereotype of Japan as risk-averse. While decision-making may appear slow, it is often thorough rather than cautious. Once consensus is achieved, execution can be swift and decisive. He points out that change in Japan can be sudden, with shifts in attitudes toward startups, crypto, and international careers occurring rapidly after long periods of stability. What leadership style actually works? A hybrid leadership style works best—combining Western clarity with Japanese sensitivity. Packard's approach includes flattening hierarchies, fostering open communication, and empowering individuals. He also places strong emphasis on diversity, particularly the inclusion of women, which enhances team dynamics and decision-making. Trust is built through consistency, transparency, and respect for cultural norms. How can technology help? Technology plays a supporting role in enabling flexible work and communication. The shift to remote work during the pandemic highlighted both opportunities and challenges, including issues like remote harassment and privacy concerns. Packard's adoption of cloud-based tools and flexible work policies demonstrates how technology can enhance productivity while respecting individual preferences. Does language proficiency matter? Language proficiency is important but not decisive. While fluency can facilitate communication, Packard emphasises clarity over complexity. The ability to convey ideas simply and effectively is more valuable than perfect language skills. This aligns with his broader belief in the power of declarative communication. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate lesson is adaptability. Leaders must continuously adjust to changing environments, cultural expectations, and team dynamics. Packard's career demonstrates that success comes from blending different approaches, learning from experience, and maintaining a clear ethical framework. His mantra—legal, rewarding, and fun—captures the essence of sustainable leadership. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"Trust is really the only currency that is the beginning and the end of pretty much every human relation." "You give trust first, before you get trust." "I want to make sure that the least empowered person in the room can have a great idea and the best idea will win." "You need to be the fuel for their sparks." "If you give them permission and you will never punish them for honesty." Brief Bio Wolfgang Angyal is President of Riedel Japan and one of the rare foreign executives who has built a long leadership career in Japan from the ground up. Originally from Austria and trained in the hospitality industry, he first came to Japan in 1985 as part of Austria's delegation to the Skill Olympics, where he won a gold medal in hotel and restaurant service. That early success left him with a strong affinity for Japan, shaped by childhood exposure to judo and an early fascination with Japanese values such as humility, respect and discipline. After returning to Japan in 1988 to teach at a hospitality school in Osaka, he experienced the kind of early cross-cultural mistakes that many foreign professionals make, later describing himself as an elephant in a porcelain shop. He then moved into sales, promotion and business development, first with Riedel's importer in Japan, then within a large Japanese corporate distribution environment, and later across Asia-Pacific from Sydney, where he helped expand the brand into multiple markets. In 2000, he returned to Japan to establish Riedel's wholly owned local operation, beginning with a JETRO rental office and one secretary. Over time, he built the business, integrated acquisitions, developed talent, and led Riedel Japan into one of the company's most important markets. His career arc reflects adaptability, patient localisation, and a deep commitment to understanding how leadership actually works inside Japanese organisations. Wolfgang Angyal's leadership story in Japan is not the story of a foreign executive arriving with a polished playbook. It is the opposite. His path began with technical excellence in hospitality, but his real advantage turned out not to be technique. It was trust. As a young Austrian competitor at the Skill Olympics in Japan, he noticed that while technically stronger rivals insisted on doing everything themselves, he relied on local assistants. That instinct to trust others, even across a language barrier, helped him win gold and gave him an early lesson that would later define his leadership philosophy in Japan. That insight deepened when he returned to Japan and made the classic mistakes of an outsider who does not yet understand the culture around him. Rather than romanticising those failures, he treats them as foundational. They taught him that leadership in Japan is rarely about force, status or personal brilliance. It is about reading context, slowing down, and building the kind of consistency that makes other people feel safe. In a culture shaped by consensus, nemawashi, ringi-sho thinking and strong uncertainty avoidance, the leader who moves too abruptly may get compliance on the surface but withdrawal underneath. His commercial career reinforced the same lesson. Selling Riedel in Japan was not straightforward. Wine culture was still emerging, homes were small, and the product category itself was unfamiliar. He had to educate the market experientially, often in Japanese, one relationship at a time. Later, when he worked inside a large Japanese corporate group, he discovered that change first had to be sold internally before it could be sold externally. That is a classic Japan lesson: before the market says yes, the organisation itself must align. Consensus is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is often the mechanism by which commitment becomes durable. When he eventually returned to launch Riedel Japan as a stand-alone operation, his challenge shifted from market development to leadership at scale. He had to recruit for an unknown foreign brand, absorb acquired teams, move from a family-sized company to a tribe-sized one, and learn to be comfortable being the boss. His language around this is strikingly unpretentious. He does not describe leadership as charisma. He describes it as getting comfortable with accountability while keeping the soft side of human connection intact. His most distinctive contribution is his view that leadership in Japan begins with trust given in advance. Rather than waiting for loyalty, he extends it first. He believes Japanese teams often respond strongly when trust is explicitly communicated, not merely assumed. From there, he builds predictability, psychological safety and honest feedback. He is willing to kill his own ideas publicly so better ideas can win, especially from less empowered people. That is not weakness. It is disciplined ego management. In a culture where employees may hesitate to speak up, the leader's job is to create the conditions in which sparks appear. The ultimate task is not to be the source of every answer, but to become the fuel for other people's ideas. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is uniquely shaped by context, hierarchy and the social mechanics of alignment. Decisions often emerge through nemawashi and ringi-sho processes rather than confrontation in the meeting room. For Angyal, this does not mean Japanese leadership is slow or passive. It means that trust, predictability and consensus are prerequisites for execution. Leaders who understand this see that commitment is built before the formal decision, not after it. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives often struggle because they arrive with technically correct ideas but insufficient cultural calibration. Angyal's own early mistakes in Japan taught him that expertise alone is not enough. Many foreign leaders move too quickly, communicate too directly, or mistake silence for agreement. They underestimate how much uncertainty avoidance shapes behaviour and how strongly teams respond to tone, consistency and perceived safety. Without that understanding, even good initiatives fail to gain traction. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Angyal's experience suggests that Japan is less risk-averse than uncertainty-averse. Teams do not necessarily reject innovation; they resist unframed ambiguity. Once the context is clear, the purpose is understood, and the interpersonal trust is in place, Japanese teams can be highly committed and creative. The issue is not whether change is possible. The issue is whether the path feels socially and operationally safe enough to pursue. Consensus reduces uncertainty, and that makes commitment possible. What leadership style actually works? The leadership style that works is calm, observant, explicit and human. Angyal emphasises getting to know people individually, understanding motivational drivers, adapting communication styles, and giving trust first. He also models intellectual humility by inviting criticism, using 360-degree feedback, and publicly dropping his own ideas when better ones emerge. In practice, this creates psychological safety and allows the least empowered person in the room to contribute. In Japan, that is often the difference between surface harmony and real engagement. How can technology help? Technology helps when it reduces uncertainty rather than adding complexity. In the Japanese context, decision intelligence matters more than digital theatre. Tools that clarify options, visualise outcomes, support structured feedback, and create shared visibility can reinforce consensus. In a modern setting, digital twins, workflow dashboards, collaboration platforms and feedback systems can support nemawashi by making implications easier to see before action is taken. Technology is useful when it strengthens alignment, not when it tries to bypass human trust. Does language proficiency matter? Language proficiency matters, but not in a simplistic way. Angyal learned enough Japanese to make appointments, build relationships and work inside complex Japanese organisations. That gave him access, credibility and nuance. Yet his deeper point is that language alone is not enough. A leader also has to understand how people see the foreign executive, what they expect, and what kind of value that outsider can bring. Speaking Japanese opens the door; understanding the human and organisational code keeps it open. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate lesson is that trust is the operative currency of leadership in Japan. Not abstract trust, but demonstrated trust. The leader must often pay it forward, communicate it explicitly, and protect honesty once it appears. That means being predictable, creating safety, following through, and resisting the ego impulse to dominate the room. Angyal's leadership lesson is both simple and demanding: the leader's role is not merely to direct, but to create the conditions in which others can contribute, challenge and grow.

"Japan is different and hard." "It's consistency, it's sustainability of the vision and the theme that's going to matter." "You couldn't be the super-God sits up in the ivory tower." "Leadership is about inspiring people to go somewhere that they wouldn't necessarily go on their own." "Respect the history and the culture that is Japan." Brief Bio Bob Noddin is the CEO of AIG Japan and a long-time Asia business leader whose career reflects deep adaptability across cultures, industries, and operating environments. His connection with Japan began in 1982 as a college exchange student at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka, where early exposure to Japanese psychology, history, language, and society gave him an unusually strong foundation for later leadership in the country. After returning to the United States, he joined Citibank with ambitions for an international career, but when a planned transfer to Japan fell through, he moved to AIG instead — a decision that shaped the next three and a half decades of his professional life. His AIG career took him across Asia on a series of increasingly complex assignments. What began as a short-term posting evolved into leadership roles in the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan, giving him broad exposure to different operating cultures while sharpening his ability to lead through ambiguity, restructuring, and growth. He later returned to the United States as Global Head of Operations and Technology for AIG's property casualty business, overseeing a vast international footprint before asking to return to Asia during the financial crisis. Back in Japan, he took on major leadership responsibilities during a period of merger integration, organisational reform, and national crisis, eventually leading one of the company's most important markets worldwide. Across that journey, he developed a leadership philosophy grounded in visibility, trust, resilience, and the need to adapt global expectations to Japan's distinctive business culture. Bob Noddin's leadership story in Japan is not one of a parachuted-in foreign executive trying to impose a template from head office. It is the story of a leader who spent decades earning the right to run one of the most complex roles in AIG's global portfolio, while learning that Japan rewards patience, consistency, and human connection far more than slogans or imported management theory. His perspective is shaped by a rare combination of early academic immersion in Japan, long operational experience across Asia, and direct accountability for large-scale businesses in crisis, integration, and transformation. What stands out most in his account is the distinction he draws between knowing that Japan is different and actually leading effectively inside that difference. He describes a country and corporate environment shaped by structure, seniority, collaboration, and extremely high standards of quality. Those strengths helped build modern Japan, but they can also create friction when an organisation needs speed, innovation, or bold change. In that context, the challenge is not simply strategic clarity. It is how to move a system conditioned by nenko-style seniority, uncertainty avoidance, and deeply embedded consensus habits without triggering organisational antibodies. Noddin identifies the real obstacle not as frontline employees, but as what he calls the "thermal layer" of middle management. This layer absorbs direction from above, filters it, softens it, delays it, and often protects the existing culture from disruption. In Japan, where seniority and harmony remain powerful forces, this buffering function can become a major drag on change. His response was not dramatic confrontation, but patient cultural triage: identify the people already leaning towards a more proactive leadership style, invest in those who could develop into that style, and separate them from those who were simply dead wood or actively cancerous to progress. His approach to change is strikingly practical. He introduced role-play into management development, studied how Japanese executives in other industries handled transformation, and used visible examples to normalise reflection, experimentation, and ownership. He also changed recruitment, insisting that professional-track hires speak at least one additional language, not because English alone mattered, but because exposure to another language and culture expands thinking. That decision reflects a core belief running through the interview: that leadership in Japan requires widening mental models, not merely importing foreign practices. Technology and innovation appear in his thinking not as abstractions but as tools that must be paired with psychological safety. People will not propose better systems, digital improvements, or new customer models unless they believe failure will not destroy them. In a culture where a mistake can carry a disproportionate social cost, he made a point of publicly taking responsibility when experiments did not work and praising courage even when outcomes fell short. That is a subtle but powerful form of decision intelligence: separating the quality of a decision from the certainty of an outcome. Perhaps the strongest theme in Noddin's interview is that trust in Japan is built through presence. He argues that leaders cannot sit in an ivory tower. They need to be visible, approachable, and unmistakably human. That means town halls, travel, direct emails, birthday cakes, karaoke, drinks with staff, and honest conversations with agents and employees alike. In Japan, where formal roles can conceal strong emotion, trust is not built through authority alone. It is built when people feel the leader can be touched, tested, and believed. For Noddin, the ultimate lesson is clear: respect Japan's history, stay resilient when the ivy-covered brick wall appears, and focus relentlessly on shared objectives rather than issuing instructions that produce compliance without ownership. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Bob Noddin sees leadership in Japan as uniquely shaped by history, structure, and social expectations. He points to a business environment that values seniority, teamwork, incremental improvement, and order. These are not superficial preferences but expressions of deeper cultural patterns that emerged from national rebuilding and collective effort. Concepts such as nemawashi, consensus, and uncertainty avoidance remain highly relevant because organisations often prefer broad alignment and risk containment over speed or individual heroics. What makes Japan distinctive is that these qualities can be both strengths and constraints. They support quality, discipline, and reliability, but they also create resistance when a leader is trying to drive innovation or break with tradition. The foreign executive who mistakes Japan's politeness for easy agreement is likely to fail. Leadership here requires reading the context beneath the formal surface and understanding that the visible meeting is often only one part of the real decision process. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives often struggle because they underestimate how much translation is required between headquarters expectations and Japanese reality. Noddin says head office may intellectually understand that Japan is different, but repeated explanations eventually sound like excuses unless the local leader can convert that difference into results. Executives sent to Japan for short rotations can also become trapped by a buffering layer of local management that protects the system from meaningful change. He argues that many foreign leaders fail because they arrive with urgency but without enough seasoning, continuity, or local credibility. Japan is not a market that can be reset in three years through force of personality. It requires sustained presence, consistency of message, and a willingness to stay long enough for people to believe the leader is not simply passing through. Without that, local teams wait out the foreign boss and preserve the old logic underneath. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Noddin believes Japan is not simply risk-averse in a crude sense. It is better understood as highly sensitive to the consequences of failure. In a system where there is perceived to be one right way to proceed, shaped by education, hierarchy, and social accountability, the downside of getting something wrong is far greater than the upside of trying something new. That makes people cautious, especially if they fear isolation or reputational damage for standing out. His answer is not to lecture people about risk-taking, but to separate risk from recklessness. In practical terms, that means showing people that thoughtful experimentation will be supported, that leaders will absorb the blame when outcomes fall short, and that lessons learned matter. In this sense, better leadership creates better risk literacy. It helps employees distinguish manageable uncertainty from unacceptable exposure. What leadership style actually works? The style that works, in his view, is visible, human, and resilient. He rejects the distant, untouchable executive model. Leaders in Japan need to be accessible, to travel, to engage directly, and to demonstrate humility. Trust grows when employees see the leader as a real person rather than a remote authority figure. That human connection becomes especially important in a culture where emotions are often controlled in formal settings but remain powerful underneath. At the same time, effective leadership is not about giving detailed instructions. Noddin draws a clear line between management and leadership. Management allocates tasks; leadership inspires people to go somewhere they would not necessarily choose on their own. The most effective leader in Japan aligns people around an objective, tests understanding from multiple stakeholder viewpoints, and then gives teams ownership over how to deliver. How can technology help? Technology helps when it supports better ways of working rather than simply automating existing silos. Noddin's examples show that innovation in Japan needs a protected environment. His venture-style internal project, which pulled people out of the normal structure and allowed different work patterns, dress codes, and idea development cycles, created space for creativity that the regular organisation would have smothered. In a modern sense, this is close to building a digital twin of the operating culture: a parallel environment where new behaviours can be tested before wider deployment. Technology also becomes powerful when combined with decision intelligence. Data, systems, and new processes are useful only if people feel safe enough to question assumptions, propose improvements, and learn from imperfect launches. Without that cultural layer, digital transformation becomes cosmetic. Does language proficiency matter? Yes, but not in the narrow sense of passing language tests. Noddin values language because it signals cultural exposure and cognitive flexibility. His recruiting shift towards candidates fluent in another language was really a shift towards people who had lived beyond a single worldview. In a global company operating in Japan, that broader perspective is essential. He also suggests that language matters because it reveals how people have been trained to think. His example of learning kanji stroke order captures a larger point: if people are educated that there is one correct sequence and one correct form, then innovation at work becomes psychologically difficult. Language learning, cultural immersion, and broader experience help leaders appreciate that mental model and work with it more intelligently. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate lesson is to respect Japan deeply while refusing to be defeated by its inertia. Noddin advises new leaders to honour the country's history, social cohesion, and achievements rather than dismissing them. At the same time, they must stay resilient, because they will encounter hidden resistance, delays, and beautiful ivy covering solid brick walls. His final message is that leadership in Japan succeeds when it combines respect with resolve. Leaders need to focus on the objective, not just the task list; build trust through presence; and create systems where people own outcomes rather than merely comply with instructions. That is how change becomes durable rather than cosmetic. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"this job is really primarily a people job" "if you get the right people, you don't have to spend a lot of time micromanaging; get out of their way and let them do their thing" "you have to be the type of boss that people are not afraid to bring bad news" "you all have everything you need to be successful at Dow" "if you treat Japanese people with integrity, trust, respect, like you would want to be treated like anywhere else in the world, you're going to be fine" Brief Bio Peter Jennings is President of Dow in Japan and Korea, overseeing a multi-billion-dollar business and thousands of employees across both markets. He joined Dow as an attorney and spent twenty-seven years in legal roles before being unexpectedly tapped for senior business leadership. Before moving to Japan in 2012, he served in Hong Kong as general counsel for Dow Asia Pacific and later returned to the United States for several senior assignments. His transition from legal counsel to country president reflects a career shaped by adaptability, deep institutional knowledge, and a strong people-first philosophy. In Japan, he became Dow's longest-serving president in the market's history, leading cultural renewal, leadership development, diversity initiatives, and a more open, internationally minded operating model inside a long-established Japanese organisation. Peter Jennings presents a compelling case that leadership success in Japan does not begin with technical mastery, perfect language, or rigid adherence to stereotype. It begins with trust. When he arrived in Japan in 2012, one year after the Tohoku earthquake, he came not as a traditional commercial operator but as a long-serving Dow lawyer with deep corporate knowledge and international experience. That unusual path could easily have created distance between him and a highly experienced Japanese leadership team. Instead, it became an advantage because he did not arrive pretending to know everything. He arrived listening. His early approach was simple and disciplined. He met leaders individually, asked about their biggest issues, wrote everything down, and focused on how he could help. In a market where nemawashi, ringi-sho, consensus-building, and careful internal alignment still shape decision-making, that restraint mattered. Rather than impose a foreign leadership template, Jennings worked to understand how trust and respect are earned locally. He recognised that formal authority in Japan means little unless people feel safe enough to speak candidly. Over time, the proof of progress was behavioural. Senior staff started challenging him privately after meetings. Employees began dropping by for coffee or lunch. More importantly, people brought bad news earlier. For Jennings, that was a decisive signal of culture change. He argues that if people fear punishment, information gets buried. In a high uncertainty avoidance environment, leaders must reduce the interpersonal risk of honesty before they can improve decision quality. That is where leadership and decision intelligence meet: better outcomes come from better information flow, not louder authority. He also reshaped the leadership bench. Over several years, Dow Japan moved from a more traditional senior male model towards a younger, more diverse, bilingual, bicultural team. Jennings takes particular satisfaction not in personal advancement but in seeing talented people, especially women, promoted into larger roles. He frames leadership as removing obstacles, securing resources, and backing capable people rather than controlling them. That is a significant shift away from hierarchical supervision and towards empowerment. Another major insight concerns engagement. Rather than accept low survey scores as a fixed Japan problem, Jennings replaced abstract annual questionnaires with thirty small-group focus sessions built around four direct questions. This surfaced practical barriers that a standardised survey missed. In effect, he moved from broad sentiment tracking to grounded organisational sensing. That approach resembles a more human version of modern management tools such as digital twins or data-led diagnostic systems: the aim is not data volume, but usable insight. Jennings remains optimistic about Japan's future because he sees a new generation less constrained by inherited conventions. He believes many younger professionals want accelerated careers, global exposure, flexibility, and merit-based opportunity. His lesson is clear: leadership in Japan works best when it combines respect for consensus with encouragement for initiative, local sensitivity with global openness, and humility with conviction. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is shaped by context more than cliché. Jennings suggests the distinctive challenge is not that Japanese teams are uniquely difficult, but that trust must be earned carefully and consistently. Consensus matters, and leaders must respect the logic behind nemawashi and ringi-sho rather than dismiss them as slow. People observe behaviour closely before deciding whether a leader is safe, credible, and worth following. Titles alone do not create followership. In practice, leadership in Japan requires patience, consistency, and a visible commitment to fairness. Why do global executives struggle? Many global executives struggle because they arrive overconfident or over-programmed. Jennings argues that outsiders often assume prior Asia experience transfers automatically into Japan. It does not. Japan requires a different cadence, especially around rapport, internal alignment, and decision support. Executives also fail when they underestimate how long trust-building takes. Jennings says it took two to three years before he felt his influence had truly taken root. Leaders who expect quick wins often misread silence as agreement and hierarchy as commitment. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Jennings does not deny caution exists, but he reframes the issue as uncertainty rather than simple risk aversion. In environments with strong uncertainty avoidance, employees can hesitate because the social cost of error feels high. That does not mean they lack ambition or imagination. It means leadership must lower the penalty for speaking up, experimenting, and surfacing problems. When employees believe bad news will be handled constructively, innovation becomes more possible. The issue is less about national character and more about psychological safety. What leadership style actually works? The style that works is people-centred, transparent, and supportive. Jennings repeatedly returns to one principle: leadership is a people job. He believes leaders should ask good questions, listen well, help teams secure resources, and avoid micromanagement. They should also model openness by welcoming challenge and by rewarding honesty instead of punishing it. This style aligns well with consensus cultures because it does not destroy harmony; it strengthens it through trust. Effective leaders also create points of light by visibly backing talented people into bigger roles. How can technology help? Technology can support leadership, but it cannot replace human judgment. Jennings' critique of standard engagement surveys shows that data without context often misleads. Better systems should improve signal quality, not merely produce dashboards. In that sense, tools associated with decision intelligence, workforce analytics, or even digital twins of organisational processes can help leaders identify bottlenecks, bias, and friction. Yet Jennings' own example shows the real breakthrough came from direct conversation. Technology is most useful when it sharpens listening rather than substitutes for it. Does language proficiency matter? Language proficiency helps, but Jennings suggests it is not decisive. He openly acknowledges not speaking Japanese, yet built credibility through authenticity, gratitude, and respectful conduct. He believes leaders can succeed without perfect language if they behave with integrity, remain accessible, and work through strong local talent. Language matters less than whether people believe the leader is genuine, fair, and willing to learn. Cultural arrogance is far more damaging than imperfect fluency. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate lesson is that people rise when leaders combine belief with opportunity. Jennings insists that employees already possess the education and ability to succeed; what often separates performance is confidence, encouragement, and the chance to act. Great leadership in Japan is therefore not about overpowering culture but about unlocking potential within it. When leaders blend respect, transparency, empowerment, and resilience, they create an organisation where people are willing to speak, grow, and lead. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"First thing I'd say is do it… just throw yourself into it." "Spend the first ninety days getting to know the people… listening… before acting." "Communication here is more high context… there's a lot of reading between the lines." "Trust is doing what you say you would do." "A leader is someone who takes a strategy and a vision breaks that down into habits… and empowers people to execute." Grant Torrens is an Australian recruitment leader and long-tenured Hays executive who became Managing Director of Hays Japan after a two-decade, multi-country journey with the firm. He joined Hays in London in 2006 through its graduate program—initially as a jobseeker who "fell into recruitment" like many in the industry—working a demanding hedge-fund desk in the City. After navigating the Global Financial Crisis, he took a career break to travel across Southeast Asia, where a short visit to colleagues in Singapore turned into a relocation, leveraging Hays' global internal mobility and his transferable financial-services recruitment expertise. ] Years later, he was offered the Japan role—but COVID-era border restrictions meant he effectively "ran Japan from Singapore" for about 15 months, relying heavily on his Japan leadership team and building data-driven management systems to lead remotely. When he finally relocated to Tokyo, he focused on deep listening, high-clarity communication, and change management—while guiding Hays Japan through a strategic shift toward stronger service for Nikkei clients and hiring more Japanese nationals, including team members who don't work in English. Grant Torrens' leadership story is built on three threads: global mobility, remote-first problem solving under pressure, and culture-building at the intersection of Hays' global norms and Japan's high-context communication. He joined Hays "by accident" in London—starting in financial services at a moment when the City rewarded performance and speed, then learning to survive and adapt through the post-2008 shock. The early lesson that carries forward is pragmatic: when conditions change, your approach must pivot too. That mindset shows up repeatedly in his later Japan leadership—especially when COVID delayed his physical move and forced him to lead Japan from outside the country. During that "remote with a capital R" period, Torrens deliberately upgraded the mechanics of decision-making: he turned raw sales and activity data into usable management information, taught himself Excel at a much higher level, and used those insights to create sharper, more useful conversations over video calls. It's a very modern leadership move, but grounded in a classic idea: if you can't rely on presence, you rely on clarity—data clarity, expectation clarity, and communication clarity. Once on the ground in Japan, his operating principle remained "listen first." He emphasizes that many leaders arrive, see processes that look "wrong," and try to replace them with headquarters logic—only to discover later those practices existed to serve customers and local realities. His antidote is explicit: spend the first ~90 days learning, not executing change. In Japan specifically, he adds two important nuances: (1) communication tends to be high-context—direct bluntness that feels "normal" in Australia/UK can land badly in Japan, and (2) trust is tightly linked to process—nemawashi and broad involvement matter, even if it slows decisions compared to London-style speed. On culture, Torrens frames "Grant culture" as mostly aligned with Hays culture after 20 years inside the firm—but he still sees leadership latitude inside the umbrellas of global standards and Japanese expectations. His chosen lever is change: he wants a culture where change is less feared and more celebrated. That includes giving people "permission" to try, treating mistakes as learning data (especially early), avoiding public blame, and celebrating wins so innovation feels worth the effort. He also highlights the practical friction of language and meaning: even company values can translate oddly, so global messaging must be adapted carefully to remain faithful—especially as Hays Japan expands its Nikkei-facing business and hires more Japanese-only speakers. Q&A Summary Why did you choose recruitment—and how did Japan happen? Recruitment wasn't the plan; it was an opportunity in London when he was unemployed and out of options. Japan was always in the background (he studied Japanese), but Singapore became the stepping stone because it was an easy transition into Asia—English-speaking, same company, and the financial services sector was transferable. How did you lead Japan while stuck in Singapore during COVID? Two pillars: a supportive Asia boss and a strong Japan management team. Personally, he built better reporting/insight systems—turning "raw data" into actionable information—so he could manage outcomes without relying on physical visibility. How do you build trust in Japan? He treats trust as universal but harder-won in Japan if you ignore high-context communication and consensus processes. Practically: reciprocate trust, be fair, do what you say you'll do, and follow verbal messages with written confirmation to reduce misunderstanding—especially across language boundaries. How do you get bottom-up ideas in a high-context culture? He uses second-level (and broader) conversations—while explicitly asking permission and explaining intent so it doesn't feel like bypassing managers. The goal is pattern recognition: common themes that reveal what the organization should improve, not "who said what about whom." What advice would you give a leader moving to Japan? Do it (don't overthink yourself into regret). Then: listen before acting (including to customers), communicate with extra clarity (avoid slang/idioms), and intentionally build a culture where change is normal and safe—because the organization will look different in 3–10 years no matter what. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts multiple weekly podcasts and YouTube shows, including Japan's Top Business Interviews.

"If we can sell it in Japan, we can sell it also in other countries." "The first thing I believe is honesty, especially in difficult situations." "The word "musukashi" is not allowed anymore in our company." "When an engineer is working at the customer and he cannot solve the problem… even if time is up, he would not walk away." "You need to give them… a safety rope." Joerg Bauer is the Representative Director of Heidelberg Japan, leading a business that provides industrial printing and packaging solutions across software, machinery, and consumables. Trained in electronics and data processing, he joined Heidelberg early and built his career at the intersection of engineering, customer service, and operational transformation. He first came to Japan as a young engineer—curious about Japanese manufacturing and culture—and expected a three-to-five-year stint that became a decade. After returning to Germany for several years, he relocated again to Japan in 2008 and has remained since, spending the majority of his professional life in-country. Over nearly four decades with Heidelberg (including his student period), Bauer progressed from technical roles to sales support, then into major integration work as a project manager during corporate merger and SAP rollout, later becoming IT business manager. Back in Japan, he led initiatives such as introducing an online shop for consumables—initially resisted internally as "not possible in Japan"—before moving through service leadership and sales leadership. In November 2019, he became the top executive in Japan, drawing on long-term relationships, practical bilingual experience, and a clear view of how global standards must be delivered through local Japanese expectations. Heidelberg is not a desktop-printer brand; it is an industrial backbone for companies producing packaging, books, and brochures—machines that can stretch 30–40 metres, weigh dozens of tonnes, and require deep integration of mechanics, electronics, and software workflows from PDF to professional output. In Japan, where customer expectations for precision and service are famously demanding, Joerg Bauer describes the market as a proving ground: if a solution succeeds here, it can succeed almost anywhere. That mindset shapes not just product quality, but operating tempo—such as rapid call-back expectations and a service culture that must feel uncompromisingly Japanese to the customer. Bauer's leadership story is inseparable from cultural translation. He sees genuine overlap between German and Japanese monozukuri—high-precision engineering and pride in build quality—yet emphasises that working methods diverge. In his view, Japanese competitors historically excelled by targeting operators' pain points and incrementally automating "the hardest parts" of a process. Heidelberg's approach leaned more holistic, sometimes slower, aiming for a unified system rather than a patchwork of quick fixes. That contrast becomes a leadership lesson: Japan often rewards kaizen and immediate usability, while global headquarters may prioritise system architecture and standardisation. The leader's job is to bridge both without triggering organisational paralysis. He also treats Japan's "zero defect" instinct as both strength and tension. Perfection is culturally persuasive, but defining "perfect" is complex—especially in areas like colour, where human perception varies and measurement systems (LAB values) can create a more rational definition of quality. Bauer frames this as an executive's communication challenge: aligning printing companies, their clients, and internal teams around what quality means in measurable terms, without dismissing the cultural preference for flawless outcomes. Internally, he is candid about the real constraint: uncertainty avoidance. When teams say "muzukashii," they often mean risk, status loss, channel conflict, or fear of being linked to failure. His response is practical: find early adopters, run controlled trials, protect participants from reputational downside, and then scale what works. As the top executive since 2019, he anchors trust in honesty—especially during difficult periods involving financial pressure and restructuring—while resisting the temptation to hide behind "Japan is different" as an excuse. For Bauer, effective leadership in Japan is not softness; it is clarity, preparation (nemawashi), and a consistent safety rope that makes innovation feel survivable. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is uniquely shaped by consensus-building, nemawashi, and a deep preference for harmony that reduces surprises. Bauer's experience suggests that outcomes improve when stakeholders are aligned before formal decisions—similar to ringi-sho logic—because it lowers execution risk and face-loss. The practical implication is that leaders must invest earlier in communication, even when it feels like "over-communication" to global executives. Why do global executives struggle? Bauer highlights isolation as a core failure mode: arriving as president without language, relationships, or a trusted internal power base leaves leaders cut off from the real data and informal context. Teams may answer only what is asked, not what is relevant. Without the ability to ask precise questions—and verify through multiple sources—leaders can drift off-track while believing they are informed. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Bauer treats "risk aversion" as uncertainty avoidance rather than laziness. "Muzukashii" often signals fear of failure, channel conflict, or reputational cost. The workaround is not motivational speeches; it is risk design: small pilots, visible executive sponsorship, and protection for participants. In decision intelligence terms, leaders must reduce perceived downside, increase clarity, and make learning safe. What leadership style actually works? His emphasis is direct: honesty in difficult situations, plus a clear rationale for change. He can be "very German" in being frank and direct, but he pairs that with structured buy-in and visible modelling of how to communicate with headquarters. He argues that near the customer, the organisation must behave Japanese—language, documents, yen-based business norms—while headquarters discussions sometimes require unusually direct boundary-setting. How can technology help? In Bauer's domain, technology is not abstract transformation theatre; it is operational leverage. Software workflows, automation, measurement standards (such as colour metrics), and modern service systems can reduce ambiguity and speed decisions. Applied well, digital twins and predictive maintenance concepts can also shift service from reactive "fix it now" pressure to planned reliability—supporting both customer expectations and internal resource planning. Does language proficiency matter? Bauer implies language is a major accelerator for trust and accuracy. Without Japanese proficiency, leaders rely on interpreters who may lack business judgment, or on English speakers who may not be organisational power players. Language competence improves question quality, speeds nemawashi, and reduces misalignment between intent and interpretation. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? Bauer's core lesson is that leadership is bridge-building under uncertainty: earn trust through honesty, reduce fear with a safety rope, and translate between cultures without letting either side become an excuse. In Japan, sustainable performance comes from combining consensus with clarity—bringing people along while still insisting on profitability, accountability, and forward movement. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"I listen and I also am always very transparent." "Who cares about what people think about me?" "If my boss, my future boss, thinks that I'm capable, I must be." "Leadership is really defining where we're going, whether it's the end state or whether it's a goal." Mika Matsuo is a Japan-based executive and former AIG Japan CHRO known for repeatedly stepping into unfamiliar roles and delivering change. Born and raised in Japan but educated in an international school environment in Yokohama, she took an early decision to build a global career, studying at Tufts University in Boston and completing an MBA at the University of San Francisco. She began her career at Citibank Japan during the build-out of its retail business, where exposure to strong, international leaders shaped her standards for integrity, preparedness, and opportunity-taking. After earning Six Sigma Master Black Belt credentials, she moved into an internal consulting role at JPMorgan Chase during the post-merger integration period, then joined Tokyo Star Bank as Head of HR without prior HR experience—learning labour law, restructures, and culture change in real time. She later expanded her scope as Head of HR for Asia Pacific at Moody's and returned to Tokyo Star Bank to lead the retail business, navigating crisis leadership after the March 2011 earthquake. She joined AIG to help integrate AIU and Fuji Fire & Marine, later serving nearly a decade and attributing successful integration to clear leadership direction and a "build a new company" mindset. Today, she contributes through board and advisory work, drawing on a career defined by adaptability in Japan's complex corporate environment. Mika Matsuo's career arc reads like a deliberate challenge to the usual Japanese corporate script: international education, overseas degrees, and then a sequence of high-stakes roles where she often began as an outsider to the function, the business line, or both. Rather than treating those gaps as liabilities, she used them as leverage—asking questions early, leaning on strong teams, and creating trust through transparency. The result is a leadership style that is calm under uncertainty, candid about limitations, and built around listening as a strategic discipline rather than a soft skill. Her formative years in global finance gave her two lasting advantages. First, mentors who rewarded capability over status helped her internalise a belief that many professionals—especially women—struggle to adopt: if the organisation has decided she can do it, she can. Second, she saw how quickly culture shifts when leaders normalise openness, practical delegation, and continuous learning. Those lessons mattered most when she moved into Japan's banking transformation era, where legacy norms around hierarchy, gender expectations, and "we've always done it this way" thinking still dominated. At Tokyo Star Bank, she helped introduce practices that would be routine in many gaishikei firms but were disruptive inside a traditional Japanese bank context—removing women's uniforms, supporting spousal transfers to preserve women's careers, and encouraging leave for study and volunteering. The aim wasn't cosmetic modernisation; it was building a more transparent, sustainable system that could attract and retain talent. That commitment to sustainability becomes a recurring theme in her advice: organisations that still depend on extreme overtime, weekend obligations, and performative busyness are not structurally built for the future workforce Japan needs. A defining moment of her leadership development came during the March 2011 earthquake response, when she saw high-performing teamwork replace individual heroics. With a Sendai branch that had to reopen under Ministry of Finance expectations, her role shifted to decision-making, prioritisation, and supporting a team that was independently executing critical actions. That experience reinforced her belief that leadership is not doing everything—it is creating clarity, building trust, and letting capable people run. Across roles—from HR transformation to business leadership to post-merger integration—she returns to the same core: authenticity paired with respect, vulnerability as a trust-builder, and an open mind that actively checks bias. In Japan, where consensus-building (nemawashi) and formal approval flows (ringi-sho) often shape outcomes, her approach offers a practical bridge: respect the process, accelerate it through clarity, and build followership by being transparent about goals, trade-offs, and constraints. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is uniquely shaped by the need for trust, respect, and collective alignment. Decision-making often relies on consensus-building through nemawashi and formal pathways such as ringi-sho, meaning leaders must manage time, stakeholders, and expectations while maintaining harmony. Matsuo's emphasis is that respect for Japanese ways of doing business is non-negotiable, but understanding the process helps leaders make it faster and more effective once they know how the pieces fit together. Why do global executives struggle? Global executives often struggle because they misread capability through the lens of English fluency and underestimate how much "invisible coordination" is happening beneath the surface. They may also push for rapid decisions before alignment has formed, mistaking slower Japanese pacing for resistance. Matsuo's warning is blunt: don't be deceived by language skill, and don't accept "not possible in Japan" as a default answer—often it means someone simply doesn't know how to do it legally, respectfully, and in an organised way. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Japan is frequently labelled risk-averse, but a more accurate framing is uncertainty avoidance. Leaders may appear cautious because they are working to reduce ambiguity and prevent downstream disruption. Once a decision is made, execution can move quickly—especially if the leader has done the groundwork to secure buy-in. What leadership style actually works? The leadership style that works is clarity plus trust. Matsuo's playbook is listening deeply, being transparent (including about personal constraints), and staying respectful regardless of personal affinity. She also models vulnerability—admitting what she doesn't know, asking teams to teach her, and reframing "not knowing" as a normal condition in modern complex work. How can technology help? In environments overloaded with information and stakeholder constraints, technology can support better leadership decisions by improving visibility and scenario planning. Approaches such as decision intelligence can help leaders prioritise key risks and opportunities, while tools like digital twins can model operational impacts before changes are rolled out—reducing uncertainty and supporting consensus-building without relying on endless meetings. Does language proficiency matter? Language helps, but it is not decisive. Making the effort can signal commitment, and language learning can accelerate cultural understanding, but many successful leaders in Japan remain effective without high Japanese proficiency. The critical requirement is respect for culture, discipline in stakeholder management, and the ability to avoid confusing language ability with professional capability. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? Leadership is defining the destination clearly and moving the whole team along a believable path. Whether leading from the front or supporting from behind, the leader's job is to simplify the goal, align the top team, and create the conditions for the organisation to move together—especially in times of uncertainty. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"Leading a team is every time challenging, to be honest." "We need to make a small success every time." "There is no official language of the company. The most important is communication." "It's not if we will do or not. It is how we will do it." "Only people who are not doing nothing are not taking risk." Benjamin Costa is the Representative Director and Managing Director of La Maison du Chocolat Japan, overseeing a luxury chocolate brand founded in Paris in 1977. Trained in civil engineering, he moved early into action sports retail, becoming a pioneer in European e-commerce and customer trust-building systems during the internet's formative years. After senior roles growing multi-sport retail and online operations in France, he relocated to Japan with his Japanese wife, driven by a long-standing personal connection to the country developed through annual travels over two decades. In 2015, he became General Manager of the French Chamber of Commerce's Osaka office, then co-founded an international business development firm supporting market entry for European and Japanese companies across sectors including luxury, high-tech, culture, and food and beverage. He joined La Maison du Chocolat Japan in January 2020 to lead a strategic transformation—reconnecting with Japanese consumers, strengthening alignment with headquarters, and reshaping internal ways of working—while managing an all-Japanese team as the sole foreigner in the subsidiary. Benjamin Costa's leadership story in Japan is built on an unusual combination: an engineer's analytical structure, an entrepreneur's appetite for experimentation, and a deep respect for the social mechanics that underpin Japanese workplaces. As Managing Director of La Maison du Chocolat Japan, he is not merely "running the shop"; he is running change—balancing the expectations of a French luxury heritage brand with the uncompromising standards of Japanese customers. His approach begins with a clear premise: in luxury, "not perfect" is still not acceptable. For him, Japan is not a constraint on excellence; it is the benchmark that can lift the whole organisation. If a product, service, or process meets Japanese expectations, he argues, it will travel well globally. Costa treats trust as an operational asset, not a soft concept. Internally, he speaks about building credibility through "small success every time"—a practical rhythm that mirrors nemawashi and ringi-sho dynamics, where progress is stabilised through incremental validation and consensus. He also recognises that trust must be built in two directions: with the local team and with headquarters. In subsidiaries, he notes, distance and lack of informal contact can weaken confidence and slow decision-making. His solution is to tighten the relationship through evidence, responsiveness, and direct communication between functional experts—so Japan is not an isolated "castle," and headquarters is not an untouchable authority. He leads with a deliberately flat management style. Ideas can come from anywhere, and he is comfortable letting his original concept be reshaped into something better by the team. At the same time, he rejects the paralysis that can come from over-consensus. When deadlines are short, he reframes the discussion: the debate is not whether to do the project, but how to do it. That combination—openness paired with decisiveness—becomes his method for working with Japan's uncertainty avoidance without letting it harden into inaction. Risk, for Costa, is inseparable from growth. He encourages experiments, protects people when outcomes are imperfect, and focuses on learning to prevent repeat mistakes. Yet he is also candid: some people thrive in the former business model and struggle to keep pace with transformation. He treats that as fit, not failure. Ultimately, Costa defines leadership as elevating others—creating conditions where the team can move alongside the leader, not behind him, and where capability expands through responsibility, clarity, and shared wins. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Costa emphasises that trust and credibility tend to be earned in small, visible steps. Rather than grand announcements, progress is reinforced through incremental wins that allow people to align safely—an approach closely related to nemawashi and ringi-sho style decision-making, where consensus is built before execution. He also highlights Japan's high expectations for quality and reliability, which shape how teams think about accountability and reputational risk. Why do global executives struggle? He points to a common clash: headquarters urgency versus local reality. Executives arrive as change agents under pressure to deliver quickly, but Japan's organisational habits—consensus-building, precision, and risk sensitivity—slow the apparent pace. His advice is to listen first, move thoughtfully, then return to HQ with a strong, evidence-based case for what will work and why it will take time. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Costa sees risk aversion as real, but not absolute. Japan's uncertainty avoidance often expresses itself as a desire for clarity of responsibility and avoidance of public failure. His workaround is to create psychological safety: he takes responsibility for outcomes, reframes "failure" as collective learning, and builds confidence through repeatable wins. Over time, people take more initiative because the consequences feel manageable and fair. What leadership style actually works? He blends empowerment with selective firmness. He runs flat, encourages ideas from the team, and keeps his door open for long, individual conversations until an agreement is reached. But he also breaks silos by design—treating inventory, priorities, and performance as "one Japan" rather than separate departmental territories. When speed is required, he makes the decision structure explicit: the question becomes "how," not "whether." How can technology help? Costa is cautious about AI adoption, arguing that tools can save time but still require verification of sources and critical thinking. In practice, leaders can use decision intelligence concepts to improve judgement, scenario planning, and trade-offs, and they can explore digital twins to test operational changes virtually before rolling them out—while still maintaining human accountability for decisions and customer experience. Does language proficiency matter? He values Japanese ability, but he prioritises communication over perfection. He notes there is "no official language" if the team leaves the room aligned. His experience is that effort matters: speaking Japanese—even imperfectly—invites support, and colleagues often help translate intent into precise business language. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? Costa defines leadership as raising others. The leader is not the genius; the leader creates the conditions for strong people to contribute, grow, and own outcomes. The best outcome is a team capable of moving the business forward with confidence—because trust, responsibility, and momentum have been built together. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

"Leadership is staying ahead of change without losing authenticity". "Trust is the real currency of sales, teams, and Japan's business culture". "Zeiss's foundation model is a rare advantage: patient capital reinvested into R&D". "Japan is less "risk-averse" than "uncertainty-avoidant" when decisions lack clarity and consensus". "Language is helpful for connection, but not the primary qualification for leading in Japan". Brief Bio Vincent Mathieu is the CEO of Carl Zeiss Japan, leading a multi-division portfolio spanning semiconductors, medical devices, microscopy, industrial quality solutions, ophthalmic lenses, and imaging optics. Originally from the south of France near the Basque Country, he studied business in Toulouse, then spent several years travelling and working across Morocco, Denmark, Ireland, Chile, and South America—discovering along the way that his core strength was building trust in sales. He first came to Japan in 2001 to launch and grow a new division, learning the realities of hiring, selling, and leading without fluency in Japanese. After returning to Europe for global and country leadership roles—including navigating a corporate receivership in the UK—he was recruited to Zeiss and returned to Japan for a second stint. There, he led a turnaround in the vision care business by rebuilding the team, premium positioning, and distribution strategy, then expanded to broader regional responsibilities before taking the top role in Japan, leading a larger organisation through compliance, regulatory, structural change, and remuneration reform. Carl Zeiss is often mistaken as "just cameras", yet the company's real gravity sits elsewhere: precision optics, industrial measurement, medical equipment, and the advanced semiconductor ecosystem that powers modern computing. Vincent Mathieu, CEO of Carl Zeiss Japan, uses that breadth as both a strategic advantage and a leadership test—because leading a portfolio business demands credibility across wildly different technical domains, from microscopy used by Nobel Prize-winning researchers to X-ray inspection systems supporting EV battery quality control. He also points to a structural difference that shapes Zeiss's long-term posture: the company operates as a foundation rather than a classic shareholder-led public entity, enabling sustained reinvestment into R&D and the patience required to develop complex innovations that may run at a loss for years before they become indispensable. In semiconductors, that mindset shows up in partnerships and breakthrough optics supporting lithography and EUV pathways tied to ever-smaller chips and AI-era demand. Mathieu's personal story mirrors the adaptive leadership he advocates. He describes an early uncertainty about career direction, a formative period of travel and "odd jobs", and a gradual shift into commercial roles where trust, not extroversion, became his sales engine. His first Japan assignment was a tough entry: conservative hiring conditions, limited language ability, and the slow build of distributor confidence—where one relationship took years to convert. Returning later via Zeiss, he expected a smoother "global" environment and instead found a familiar friction point: leadership without a shared language, competing internal politics, and the need to earn followership through visible effort. His approach was practical and gemba-oriented—going into the field with salespeople, learning enough Japanese to observe and debrief well, and leading by example rather than relying on title or hierarchy. In his current role, the leadership challenge is no longer a small turnaround team but a larger organisation navigating regulatory scrutiny, compliance expectations, talent gaps, and a shift from "box-moving" to workflow and digital solutions. He frames Japan's organisational reality as deeply sensitive to trust, transparency, and consistency—especially when change touches taboo areas such as pay. Whether the topic is performance-based remuneration, AI adoption, or organisation redesign, Mathieu returns to the same idea: leadership is change management plus authenticity. The most durable influence, in his view, comes from understanding who the leader is, then showing up coherently—because Japanese organisations may not offer immediate feedback, but they do evaluate whether words and actions match. Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership in Japan is uniquely shaped by trust, time, and social proof. Decision-making often relies on nemawashi (pre-alignment), the ringi-sho approval flow, and a preference for consensus that reduces future friction. Feedback can be indirect, and the "real signals" may appear later, after relationships deepen. Why do global executives struggle? Global leaders often struggle when they arrive expecting predictable "rules" about Japan, or when they assume a corporate title will create followership. Without local credibility, language bridges, and contextual awareness of honne/tatemae dynamics, even good strategies can stall. Impatience can be read as shitsukoi (pushy), yet excessive patience can also lead to inertia—forcing leaders to balance consistency with restraint. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Japan is frequently labelled risk-averse, but a more useful lens is uncertainty avoidance. When ambiguity is high, organisations increase process and consensus to control outcomes. Once clarity exists—shared numbers, shared logic, shared stakeholders—Japanese teams can execute decisively and at high quality, often outperforming more improvisational cultures. What leadership style actually works? A field-based, trust-building style works: lead by example, show operational commitment, and invest in relationships. Mathieu's experience suggests credibility is built through visible contribution—being present with customers, coaching sales behaviours, and demonstrating consistency. Authenticity matters: employees may accept difficult change if the leader is transparent, coherent, and reliably delivers on commitments. How can technology help? Technology helps when framed as decision intelligence rather than novelty. AI tools, automation, and even "digital twins" for process and manufacturing can reduce reporting burden, strengthen compliance, and redirect scarce talent towards analysis and customer value. The warning is "AI for AI's sake": capability must be learned, prompts must be mastered, and use cases must be chosen with discipline. Does language proficiency matter? Language matters for connection and cultural nuance, but it should not be the primary criterion for leading in Japan. A leader can choose English for clarity at scale—especially when communicating strategy—while still building trust through effort, respect, and selective Japanese usage in day-to-day engagement. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? The ultimate lesson is that leadership is managing change while staying true to oneself. As confidence grows, leaders feel less pressure to perform to other people's expectations and more capacity to act with authenticity. That inner coherence becomes a stabiliser for teams navigating uncertainty, consensus-building, and transformation. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.

Deliver the win, then ring the bell. Make small mistakes fast; make big learnings faster. Think global, act local — but don't go native. Do the nemawashi before the meeting, not during it. Your salary is earned in the stores: go to the gemba. A 28-year Domino's veteran, Martin Steenks began at 16 as a delivery expert in the Netherlands. He rose to store manager, multi-unit supervisor, then franchisee, building his operation to eight stores by 2019. After selling his stores, he became Head of Operations for Domino's Netherlands, then CEO of Domino's Taiwan in 2021, and subsequently CEO of Domino's Japan. Previously he was Chief Orchestrator in Japan, focusing on operational excellence, culture, and scalable execution in one of Domino's most exacting service markets. He is known for hands-on store work, cross-training, "Friday F-Up" learning rituals, the Grow & Prosper bell for micro-wins, and quarterly "Go Gemba" days that connect HQ functions with frontline realities. Martin Steenks' leadership arc runs from a three-minute job interview at 16 to orchestrating Domino's Japan — one of the brand's most demanding markets for service quality. The connective tissue is execution discipline: he has run stores, supervised regions, built and exited an eight-store franchise, owned national operations, and led two country P&Ls. That breadth gives him pragmatic empathy for franchisees and HQ alike, which he leverages to align incentives, simplify operations, and insist that every back-office salary is ultimately "earned in the stores." Japan sharpened his leadership. Coming from low-context, fast-moving Dutch and Australian business styles into high-context Japan, he learned that meetings signalling agreement can still stall without prior nemawashi — the groundwork with middle management and other stakeholders. He now invests in pre-alignment, translating intent into culturally legible action: fewer big-room debates, more quiet lobbying, more ringi-sho style consensus building for irreversible decisions, and a clear bias to test-and-learn for reversible ones. Rather than trying to "change the culture," he adjusted himself — becoming more patient while preserving speed by separating decision types and sequencing alignment before action. His operating system is human and tangible. He set a weekly rhythm of learning with a "Friday F-Up" session, where leaders share mistakes and what was learned — a radical move in a high uncertainty-avoidance culture. He celebrates micro-wins with the Grow & Prosper bell to make progress visible, sustaining morale during long transformations. He bridged HQ–store gaps with Go Gemba: each quarter, every function works a store shift; IT discovers why a workflow fails at the point of sale, marketing sees campaign friction at Friday night peak, finance hears cost-to-serve realities. He personally worked in stores four to five days a month, especially during crunch periods like Christmas, leading by example and rebuilding trust through competence. Marketing localisation is equally pragmatic. Deep discounting can signal poor quality to Japanese consumers; "customer appreciation weeks" preserve value perception while rewarding loyalty. Community building is pushed to the store level — managers engage local clubs and schools to turn footfall into fandom. Cross-training makes delivery experts confident product explainers at the door, restoring a human touch in a world where >90% of orders arrive online. Ultimately, Steenks' playbook blended cultural fluency with decision intelligence. He aligned stakeholders through nemawashi, codified learning rituals, chose language and campaigns that respected local signals, and keeps strategy tethered to the edge where pizzas are made, boxed, and delivered hot. The title "Chief Orchestrator" wasn't just whimsy; in a business of many specialists, he conducted tempo, harmony, and timing — the difference between noise and music. What makes leadership in Japan unique? Japan's high service standards and high-context communication demand leaders who are both exacting and empathetic. Success depends on pre-work: nemawashi with middle managers, thoughtful ringi-sho style consensus for high-impact choices, and visible demonstrations of respect for the frontline. Uniforms (like Domino's iconic race jacket for store managers) and rituals create shared identity that motivates in a group-oriented culture. Why do global executives struggle? Low-context leaders often misread meeting "yeses" as commitment. Without groundwork, nothing moves. Impatience backfires in high uncertainty-avoidance environments; public criticism shuts people down. Leaders must separate reversible from irreversible decisions, secure alignment offline, and then move decisively. They should also avoid copy-pasting global marketing: in Japan, steep discounts can be read as "lower quality," eroding trust. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Japan is less risk-loving than many markets, but teams will take smart risks when safety and learning are explicit. Stanks normalises small, fast experiments, celebrates micro-wins, and protects people when bets misfire. This reframes risk as controlled uncertainty with upside — a shift from avoidance to improvement. What leadership style actually works? Lead from the front and the shop floor. Work stores every month. Tie HQ metrics to store impact. Use rituals — Friday F-Up, the Grow & Prosper bell — to institutionalise learning and momentum. Celebrate teams more than individuals, and praise privately when cultural norms warrant it. Think global, act local, but don't "go native": retain an outsider's clarity about pace and standards. How can technology help? Digital tools amplify decision intelligence when paired with gemba reality. Store-level dashboards, route optimisation, and digital twins of peak-hour operations can test scenarios before rollouts; telemetry from ovens, makelines, and delivery routes can reveal bottlenecks that nemawashi then resolves across functions. Tech should reduce operational complexity, not add it. Does language proficiency matter? Fluency helps, but intent matters more. Demonstrating effort — basic greetings, store-floor Japanese, and culturally aware email etiquette — earns trust. Tools that translate bidirectionally unlock participation, but leaders still need to read context and invest time with the middle layer. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? Do the cultural homework, orchestrate alignment before action, and keep your hands in the dough — literally. When people see you respect their craft, protect their learning, and tie strategy to execution, they'll go all-in. Timecoded Summary [00:00] Origin story: hired at 16 as a delivery expert in the Netherlands; stayed through school; first — and only — job interview; early leadership as store manager, then multi-unit supervisor. [05:20] Entrepreneurship chapter: buys a struggling store; builds to eight locations with his wife's support; sells in 2019 to become Head of Operations for the Netherlands, trading entrepreneurial freedom for strategic impact. [12:45] Asia leadership: becomes CEO Taiwan in 2021, then moves to Japan; discovers that despite common Domino's DNA, markets differ; Japan's service bar is the highest. [18:10] Cultural recalibration: early meetings show apparent agreement but slow follow-through; learns nemawashi and middle-layer alignment; patience becomes a leadership muscle; adopts "Chief Orchestrator" title to reflect cross-functional reality. [24:00] Store-first operating system: cross-training (makeline ↔ delivery ↔ service); >90% of orders online makes the delivery interaction critical; community outreach by store managers; hands-on leadership with 4–5 store days per month and peak-period shifts. [31:30] Learning rituals: Friday F-Up meeting reframes failure as fuel; Grow & Prosper bell celebrates micro-wins to sustain momentum; public recognition calibrated to cultural comfort; Domino's manager jacket signals identity and pride in Japan. [38:05] Marketing localisation: avoid pure discounting (quality signal risk); position as "customer appreciation"; test premium, limited campaigns; keep operations simple for peak. [43:20] Bridging HQ and field: quarterly Go Gemba embeds IT/Finance/HR/Marketing in stores; internal surveys (anonymous) surface issues; visible follow-through flips scepticism to trust. [49:40] Leadership philosophy: lead by example, protect experimenters, separate reversible vs irreversible decisions, and use decision intelligence (telemetry, digital twins) to derisk change while moving faster. Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.