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The Leadership Japan Series

The Leadership Japan Series

Auteur(s): Dale Carnegie Japan
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 Leading in Japan is distinct and different from other countries. The language, culture and size of the economy make sure of that. We can learn by trial and error or we can draw on real world practical experience and save ourselves a lot of friction, wear and tear. This podcasts offers hundreds of episodes packed with value, insights and perspectives on leading here. The only other podcast on Japan which can match the depth and breadth of this Leadership Japan Series podcast is the Japan's Top Business interviews podcast.© 2022 Dale Carnegie Training. All Rights Reserved. Développement commercial et entrepreneuriat Entrepreneurship Gestion et leadership Économie
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  • How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part Two)

    How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part Two)
    Dec 10 2025
    In Part One we covered three foundational human relations principles: avoid criticism, offer honest appreciation, and connect your requests to what the other person wants. In Part Two, we level up the relationship-building process with three more principles that are simple, timeless, and strangely rare in modern workplaces. How do leaders build trust when everyone is time-poor and transactional? Trust is built by slowing down "relationship time" on purpose—because rushed efficiency kills human connection.In post-pandemic workplaces (hybrid, remote, overloaded calendars), teams can become purely transactional: tasks, Slack messages, deadlines, repeat. The problem is: efficiency is a terrible strategy for relationships. If people don't feel known or understood, you don't have trust—you have compliance (and even that is fragile). Across Japan, the US, and Europe, the pattern is consistent: when leaders invest time in people, cooperation rises; when leaders treat people as moving parts, motivation drops. Relationship-building is a leadership system, not a personality trait—schedule it like you'd schedule a customer meeting. Do now: Put one 15-minute "relationship slot" on your calendar each day this week and use it to learn something real about one team member. How can a leader "become genuinely interested" without it feeling fake? Genuine interest means curiosity without agenda—because people can smell manipulation in seconds. A lot of leaders worry, "If I ask personal questions, won't it look like I'm trying to use them?" That's a fair concern, because we've all met the "networking vampire" who's only being nice to get something. The reality is: being "nice" to take advantage of people usually works once—then you're done, especially in a hyper-connected organisation where word spreads fast. The difference is intent. Real interest isn't a technique; it's respect. Every colleague has a story—skills, family background, side projects, passions, scars, ambitions. The workplace becomes richer and happier when leaders make space for that humanity, rather than pretending everyone is a job title. Do now: Ask one non-work question you can genuinely listen to: "What are you into outside of work these days?" Then shut up and learn. Why does "shared interests" matter so much for team performance? Shared interests create closeness, and closeness makes cooperation easier when pressure hits. In any team—whether it's a Japanese HQ, a Silicon Valley startup, or a regional APAC sales unit—conflict isn't usually about the task. It's about interpretation: "They don't care," "They're lazy," "They're political," "They're against me." When you know someone's point of view (and why they think that way), you stop writing hostile stories about them. This is where relationship-building becomes performance insurance. When deadlines tighten, the team with trust can debate hard and move forward. The team without trust gets passive-aggressive, silent, or stuck. Leaders who take an honest interest create the bonds that prevent small issues from turning into culture damage. Do now: Find one "common point" with each direct report (sport, kids, music, learning, food) and remember it. Does smiling actually improve leadership outcomes—or is it just fluff? A deliberate smile makes you more approachable and lowers threat levels, which increases cooperation. It sounds too simple, so leaders dismiss it—then wonder why people avoid them. Walk around most offices and you'll see the default face: stressed, pressured, serious. Not many smiles. Technology was supposed to give us time, yet in the 2020s it often makes us busier and more tense—meaning we're losing the art of pleasant interaction. A smile is not weakness. In Japan especially, a calm, friendly demeanour can change the whole atmosphere before you even speak. In Western contexts, it signals confidence and openness. Either way, it reduces friction. Start with the face, and the conversation gets easier. Do now: Before your next team conversation, smile first—then speak. Watch how their body language changes. Why is using someone's name a leadership "power tool" in Japan and globally? A person's name is a shortcut to respect, recognition, and connection—so forgetting it is an avoidable disadvantage. In organisations, you'll deal with people across divisions, projects, and periodic meetings. In Japanese decision-making, multiple stakeholders are often involved, and you can't afford to blank on someone when you run into them at their office or in the hallway. The same is true at industry events and client meetings: you represent your organisation, and names matter. This isn't about being slick. It's about sending a signal: "I see you." If competitors remember names and you don't, they feel warmer, more attentive, and more trustworthy—even if their offering is identical. Do now: Use the name early: "Tanaka-san, quick question…" then use it ...
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    13 min
  • How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part One)

    How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part One)
    Dec 3 2025
    Most leaders genuinely want a strong relationship with their team, yet day-to-day reality can be messy—especially when performance feels uneven. The trap is thinking "they should change." The breakthrough is realising: you can't change others, but you can change how you think, communicate, and lead. Why do leaders get annoyed with the "80%" of the team (and what should they do instead)? Because the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) makes it feel like you're paying for effort you're not getting—but the fix is to lead the whole system, not just the stars. In most teams, a smaller group carries a disproportionate chunk of the output, and that can irritate any manager trying to hit targets, KPIs, OKRs, or quarterly numbers. But treating the "80%" as a problem creates a self-fulfilling spiral: you spend less time with them, they feel it, motivation drops, and performance follows. In Japan-based teams (and in global teams post-pandemic, with hybrid work and remote collaboration), this spiral gets worse because "relationship temperature" matters. Instead, think like an orchestra conductor: the first violin matters, but the whole section must play in harmony. Do now: Stop "ranking people in your head" mid-week. Start "designing the system" that helps every player contribute. Can you actually change your team members' performance or attitude? Not directly—you can't rewire other adults, but you can change the environment you create and the way you show up. The leader move is internal first: adjust your assumptions, your language, your coaching cadence, and your consistency. In practice, this means you stop waiting for people to become "more like you" and start shaping the conditions where they can succeed. A simple mental shift is accepting that high performers and average performers will always co-exist in any team—Japan, the US, Europe, APAC; startups, SMEs, or multinationals. When you accept the 20/80 reality, you can focus on (1) lifting the 20% even higher and (2) getting strong coordination and reliable contribution from everyone else. Do now: Identify one attitude you bring to the "middle 60%" that's costing you results—and change that, first. How do you stop criticism from destroying motivation and trust? By eliminating the "criticise, condemn, complain" reflex and replacing it with coaching language that preserves dignity. Dale Carnegie's human relations principle is blunt for a reason: criticism rarely produces agreement; it produces defence. And when people feel attacked, they don't improve—they protect themselves, they withdraw, and they tell themselves a story about you. This is especially relevant in Japan, where public correction can trigger loss of face, and in Western contexts where blunt feedback can still backfire if it feels personal rather than behavioural. The point isn't to become "soft." It's to become effective: if the same negative approach keeps producing the same negative reaction, adjust the angle—just a few degrees—so the other person can respond positively. Do now: Before your next correction, rewrite it as: "Here's what I observed, here's the impact, here's what good looks like next time." What does "honest, sincere appreciation" look like in a Japanese workplace? It's specific, evidence-based praise—not vague compliments, not flattery, and not silence. Leaders often skip appreciation because they assume "they're paid to do it," then wonder why cooperation is hard. Yet people are highly sensitive to fake praise, and they'll dismiss it as manipulation. The fix is to praise something concrete and provable. A practical Japan example is exactly the point: "Suzuki-san, I appreciated the fact you got back to me on time with the information I requested—it helped me meet the deadline. Thank you for your cooperation." The evidence makes it believable, the detail makes it useful, and the respect makes it repeatable. Do now: Give one piece of appreciation today that includes what, when, and why it mattered—in one sentence. How do you motivate people who don't seem to care as much as you do? You motivate them by speaking to what they want—because everyone is already focused on their own priorities. If you need cooperation, it's not enough to repeat what you want and when you want it. Your team member is running their own internal agenda: career security, competence, recognition, flexibility, learning, status, autonomy, or simply a calmer workday. This is where "arouse in the other person an eager want" becomes a leadership skill, not a slogan. In a Japanese firm, the eager want might be stability and not standing out negatively. In a US startup, it might be speed, ownership, and visibility. Same principle, different cultural packaging. Listen to what comes out of your mouth—if it's all about you, you're making cooperation harder. Do now: In your next request, add one line: "What would make ...
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    13 min
  • The Five Drivers of Leadership Success

    The Five Drivers of Leadership Success
    Nov 19 2025
    When markets are kind, anyone can look like a genius. The test arrives when conditions turn—your systems, skills, and character decide what happens next. What are the five drivers every leader must master? The five drivers are: Self Direction, People Skills, Process Skills, Communication, and Accountability. Mastering all five creates resilient performance across cycles. In boom times (think pre-pandemic luxury hotels in Japan) tailwinds mask weak leadership; in shocks (closed borders, supply chain crunches) only strong drivers keep teams delivering. As of 2025, executives in multinationals, SMEs, and startups alike need a balanced "stack": vision and values (Self Direction), talent and trust (People), systems and analytics (Process), clear messaging and questions (Communication), and personal ownership (Accountability). If one leg is shaky, the whole table wobbles. Do now: Score yourself 1–5 on each driver; identify your lowest two and set 30-day improvement actions. Mini-summary: Five drivers form a complete system; strength in one can't compensate for failure in another. How does Self Direction separate steady leaders from "lucky" ones? Self-directed leaders set vision, goals, and culture—and adjust fast when reality bites. Great conditions or an inherited A-team help, but hope isn't a strategy. As markets shift in APAC, the US, or Europe, leaders with grounded values and a flexible ego change course quickly; rigid, oversized egos drive firms off cliffs faster. The calibration problem is real: we need enough ego to lead, not so much that we ignore evidence. In practice that means owner-dated goals, visible trade-offs, and a willingness to reverse a decision when facts change. Do now: Write a one-page "leader operating system": purpose, top 3 goals, non-negotiable values, and the conditions that trigger a pivot. Mini-summary: Direction + adaptability beats bravado; values anchor the pivot, not the vanity. Why are People Skills the new performance engine? Complex work killed the "hero leader"; today's results flow from psychologically safe, capability-building teams.Whether you run manufacturing in Aichi, B2B SaaS in Seattle, or retail in Sydney, you need the right people on the bus, in the right seats. Trust is the currency; without it, there is no team—only compliant individuals. Servant leadership isn't slogans; it's practical: career conversations, strengths-based job fit, and coaching cadences. Climbing over bodies might have worked in 1995; in 2025 it destroys engagement, innovation, and retention. Do now: Map your team on fit vs. aspiration. Realign one role this fortnight and schedule two growth conversations per week for the next month. Mini-summary: Build safety, match talent to roles, and coach growth; teams create the compounding returns, not lone heroes. What Process Skills keep quality high without killing initiative? Well-designed systems prevent good people from failing; poor processes turn stars into "low performers." Leaders must separate skill gaps from system flaws. Mis-fit is common—asking a big-picture creative to live in spreadsheets, or a detail maven to blue-sky strategy all day. Across sectors, involve people in improving the workflow; people support a world they help create. And yes, even "Driver" personalities must wear an Analytical hat for the numbers that matter: current, correct, relevant. Toyota's jidoka lesson applies broadly: stop the line when a defect appears, then fix root causes. Do now: Run a 60-minute process review: map steps, assign owners, check inputs/outputs, and identify one automation or simplification per step. Mini-summary: Design beats heroics; match roles to wiring, make data accurate, improve the system with the people who run it. How should leaders communicate to create alignment that sticks? Great leaders talk less, listen more, and ask sharper questions—then verify that messages cascade cleanly.Communication isn't a TED Talk; it's a discipline. Listen for what's not said, surface hidden risks, and test understanding down the line. In Japan, nemawashi-style groundwork builds alignment before meetings; in the US/EU, crisp owner-dated action registers keep pace high without rework. In regulated fields (finance, healthcare, aerospace), clarity reduces audit friction; in creative and GTM teams, it accelerates experiments. Do now: Install a weekly "message audit": sample three layers (manager, IC, cross-function) and ask them to restate priorities, risks, and decisions in their own words. Mini-summary: Listen deeply, question precisely, and ensure the message survives the org chart; alignment is measured at the edges. Where does Accountability start—and how do you make it contagious? Accountability starts at the top: the buck stops with the leader, without excuses—and then cascades through coaching and controls. As of 2025, boards and regulators demand both outcomes and evidence. Strong leaders admit errors ...
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    13 min
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