On December 8th, I had the privilege of conducting an onstage conversation for the French and American Chambers of Commerce with Tom Byer—Japan-based author, entrepreneur,
There is no more powerful strategy for rapid business growth than market disruption. Every business strategy should include at least an element of disruption —
At a recent event in Tokyo where I was speaking, I was asked how to hire excellent people in a tight labor market. I advise
I served as a panelist on November 18th at an Economist Intelligence Corporate Network event on growth strategies, moderated by Dr. Rodrigo Gonzales, North Asia
“I am reading every book by Peter Drucker I can get my hands on.” That’s what Tsukuba International School Principal, Shaney Crawford, said to me
On November 4th, I hosted an onstage conversation with Davide Sesia—Executive Vice President and Director of Sogo & Seibu, and author—for a joint event of
Engagement surveys mask both organizational dysfunction and organizational health. If you are using their results to make decisions, you are at risk of making the
I define conservatism as clinging to traditional practices with opposition to change and innovation out of principle. You fight conservatism in an organization through initiating
On October 15th, I hosted an onstage conversation with Glen Argyle, Representative Director of Baxter Japan, for a joint event of the American, French, Canadian,
It is not uncommon for a CEO not to know exactly how his or her sales and business development people routinely behave in front of
Some people are natural leaders, and I have met a few. For most of us, leadership is something we learn. Making the transition from an
You should always own and never outsource relationships in your business in Japan or anywhere else, and there is no reason you should have to,
There is not knowing how to do something and not being comfortable with doing it—and the two are not the same.
Rapid growth of business frequently means improved selling behavior of your salesforce. Some leaders I encounter are aware there are issues in their salesforce, but
Good employees are responsive to customers. Great employees innovate ways to build relationships. In a world where outstanding customer service is frequently the norm, it
Empowering people can be motivating and serve as a boon to your business’s results, but only if you do it right. However, nothing engenders cynicism
There is no percentage in fear of the hypothetical, no matter how reasonable a hypothesis might sound. Anyone can prognosticate doom about anything someone doesn’t
The first question I ask when coaching business people is if they are having fun. How they answer is revealing. My son recently invited a
If you are a business leader pursuing diversity, you are chasing the wrong goal. It is not diversity that matters, but rather excellence that counts.
If you have ever heard someone use the adjectives traditional Japanese to describe an uninspiring manager, the moniker is only half-true. Only by replacing the word
Insights from a conversation hosted by the French Chamber of Commerce in Japan On July 22nd, I had the pleasure of interviewing Akiko Yamamoto, President
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