The Creative Idea Journey Within Companies
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Release Date: 09/03/2025
Time Management For Leaders
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Leaders today are stuck in a constant three-way tug-of-war: time, quality, and cost. In the post-pandemic, hybrid-work era (2020–2025), the pressure doesn’t ease—tech just lets us do more, faster, and the clock keeps yelling. This is a practical, leader-grade guide to getting control of your calendar without killing your standards or your people. Why does leadership time management feel harder now, even with better technology? It feels harder because technology increases speed and volume, so your workload expands to fill the space. Email, chat, dashboards, CRMs, and...
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How To Get Better Results
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
When you’ve got a dozen priorities, meetings, emails, and “urgent” requests hitting you at once, the real problem usually isn’t effort—it’s focus. This is a simple, fast method to get your thinking organised, coordinate your work, and choose actions that actually improve results: build a focus map, then run each sub-topic through a six-step action template. How do I get focused when I’m overwhelmed with too much work? You get better results by shrinking the chaos into one clear “area of focus,” then organising everything else around it. In practice, overwhelm...
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How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part Three)
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
In Parts One and Two, we covered the relationship fundamentals: stop criticising, give sincere appreciation, understand what people want, show genuine interest, smile, and remember names. In Part Three, we move to the final three skills that make those principles work in real leadership: listening, speaking in terms of the other person’s interests, and making people feel important—sincerely. 1) Be a good listener and encourage others to talk about themselves Many leaders unintentionally weaken relationships because they listen selectively. If the conversation isn’t “useful,”...
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How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part Two)
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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How Leaders Can Strengthen Relationships With Their Team (Part One)
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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The Five Drivers of Leadership Success
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
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...
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Balancing People and Process—and Leading and Doing
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Newly promoted and still stuck in “super-doer” mode? Here’s how to rebalance control, culture, and delegation so the whole team scales—safely and fast. Why do new managers struggle when they’re promoted from “star doer” to “leader”? Because your brain stays in production mode while your job has shifted to people, culture, and systems. After promotion, you’re accountable not only for your own KPIs but for the entire team’s outcomes. It’s tempting to cling to tasks you control—dashboards, sequencing, reporting—because they’re tangible and quick wins. But...
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How to Stop Forgetting Things
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Feeling busier and more distracted than last year? You’re not imagining it—and you’re not powerless. This guide turns a simple “peg” memory method into a fast, executive-friendly workflow you can use on the spot. Why do we forget more at work—and what actually helps right now? We forget because working memory is tiny and modern work shreds attention; the fix is to externalise what you can and anchor what you can’t. As channels multiply—email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Line, Telegram—messages blur and retrieval costs explode. First, move details out of your head and into...
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The Right Japan Workplace Culture
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
How to reshape culture in Japan without breaking what already works. What is the first question leaders should ask when inheriting a Japanese workplace? Start by asking better questions, not hunting faster answers. Before imposing a global “fix,” map what already works in the Japan business and why. In post-pandemic 2025, multinationals from Toyota to Rakuten show that culture is a system of trade-offs—language, seniority, risk appetite, client expectations—not a slogan. Western playbooks prize decisive answers; Japan prizes deciding the right questions. That shift...
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How To Remember People’s Names at Networking and Business Events
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Short intro: Forgetting names kills first impressions. The good news: a few simple, repeatable techniques can make you memorable and help you recall others—consistently, even in noisy, post-pandemic mixers and business events. Is there a simple way to say my name so people actually remember it? Yes: use “Pause, Part, Punch.” Pause before you speak, insert a brief “part” between your first and last name, then punch (emphasise) your surname. The pause stops the mental scroll, the parting creates a clean boundary (helpful in loud rooms or across accents), and...
info_outlineWhy leaders must nurture ideas if they want innovation to thrive in Japan
People are more creative than they give themselves credit for, yet many work environments suppress rather than encourage innovation. Brainstorming sessions often produce nothing but wasted calendar space, or worse, good ideas that die on arrival because no one champions them. In Japan and globally, corporate graveyards are filled with unrealised concepts. Leaders must understand that creativity is not a one-off spark—it’s a journey that requires cultivation, sponsorship, and careful timing.
Why do so many good ideas die inside companies?
Most ideas never make it past the brainstorming stage. Either nothing actionable emerges, or promising suggestions are quietly buried. Even in companies with innovation-friendly cultures, ideas face hurdles before they can be applied. Lack of sponsorship, risk aversion, and overloaded leadership pipelines kill innovation before it matures.
In Japan, this is amplified by hierarchical decision-making. Ideas often stall before reaching senior management because middle managers, stretched thin and politically cautious, block their path. Without a system to shepherd ideas upward, they disappear.
Mini-Summary: Good ideas often fail because they lack sponsorship, timing, or pathways upward—especially in Japan’s hierarchical organisations.
Where do creative ideas come from?
Ideas start with individuals. Inspiration can come from anywhere—external networks, professional communities, or day-to-day frustrations. The broader an employee’s networks, the higher the likelihood of fresh sparks.
The problem is engagement. In Japan, only about 5–7% of employees rank as “highly engaged” in surveys. That means most staff aren’t motivated to generate or push ideas. Without engagement, even the most creative sparks fizzle. Leaders must connect daily work to purpose so employees see why innovation matters.
Mini-Summary: Creative ideas emerge from individuals with broad networks and high engagement—but in Japan, low engagement is a major innovation barrier.
How can leaders cultivate employee ideas?
Cultivation requires more than slogans about innovation. Leaders must make purpose explicit, encourage risk-taking, and reward those who step outside comfort zones. If junior staff can’t articulate the company’s “why,” their ideas will lack direction.
In Japan, where conformity often trumps experimentation, leaders must show daily that trying new things is safe. Recognising effort, even when ideas fail, builds confidence. The way leaders treat innovators—successes and failures alike—sets the tone for the whole organisation.
Mini-Summary: Leaders cultivate ideas by clarifying purpose, rewarding risk-taking, and encouraging experimentation—even in failure.
Why do smart ideas need sponsors and champions?
Ideas rarely succeed alone. They need collaborators to refine them and sponsors to promote them. Expecting to walk straight into a boardroom with a raw idea is unrealistic. Allies, mentors, and champions must first shepherd it through the system.
In Japanese firms, where harmony is prized, ideas must often be “harmonised” at lower levels before reaching executives. Champions play a critical role in ensuring promising concepts aren’t lost to politics or hierarchy.
Mini-Summary: Ideas need allies and champions to survive the political journey inside companies, especially in hierarchical Japan.
How does timing affect idea success?
Even brilliant ideas fail if introduced at the wrong time. Microsoft famously launched its Tablet PC years before the iPad, and its SPOT Watch long before the Apple Watch. Both flopped, not because the ideas were bad, but because the market wasn’t ready.
In Japan, timing is especially crucial when companies face cost-cutting or conservative leadership cycles. Innovation requires resources—time, talent, and money—which are scarce during downturns. Leaders must align idea introduction with corporate readiness.
Mini-Summary: Timing can make or break ideas—introduce them too early or in the wrong climate, and they will fail regardless of quality.
What systems help ideas travel upward?
Without an “express lane” for good ideas, most are trapped in corporate silos. Middle managers, often protective of their turf, can stall innovation. Creating formal pathways that allow vetted ideas to reach senior leaders quickly is essential.
Some global companies use innovation labs or dedicated sponsorship committees to fast-track ideas. In Japan, establishing such systems prevents good ideas from being smothered by bureaucracy or politics. Leaders who create express lanes differentiate themselves and unlock competitive advantage.
Mini-Summary: Formal “express lanes” help promising ideas bypass bureaucracy and reach top decision-makers, ensuring innovation isn’t lost.
Conclusion
The creative idea journey within companies is long and fraught with obstacles. Ideas require engaged employees, cultivation, sponsorship, careful timing, and systems that allow them to travel upward. In Japan’s conservative corporate culture, leaders must work even harder to ensure innovation isn’t stifled by hierarchy or risk aversion. The true white-collar crime of leadership is failing to apply ideas that could have transformed the business.
About the Author
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.