No Change Agents Needed in Japan
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Release Date: 10/01/2025
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outline
The Boss Must Become the Human Alternative to AI
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Why authentic leadership is vital in 2025, when AI is everywhere Back in 2021, the big conversation was about chatbots and holograms. Today, in 2025, AI has gone far beyond that. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and countless others are now part of daily life—at home and at work. They generate reports, answer questions, and even simulate empathy in conversation. For many, they feel like a companion. But there is a dark side. We now read disturbing stories of unstable people encouraged by AI interactions to harm themselves or take their own lives. This isn’t science fiction. It’s...
info_outline
No Change Agents Needed in Japan
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Why foreign “hammers” fail and what leaders must do differently in 2025 For decades, foreign companies entering Japan have repeated the same mistake: dispatching a “change agent” from HQ to shake things up. The scenario often ends in disaster. Relationships are broken, trust collapses, and revenues fall. In 2025, the lesson is clear—Japan doesn’t need hammers. It needs builders who listen, localise, and lead with respect. Why do foreign change agents so often fail in Japan? Most fail because they arrive as “hammers,” assuming Japanese organisations are nails to be pounded....
info_outline
Should the Leader Concede?
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Balancing strength and flexibility in leadership in 2025 Leaders are often told to “never surrender” and “winners don’t quit.” At the same time, they are also expected to be flexible, adaptable, and open to change. These opposing demands resemble the yin-yang symbol—two seemingly contradictory forces that must coexist. As of 2025, when Japanese and global organisations face complex challenges from AI disruption to demographic decline, the real question is: should leaders concede, and if so, when? Why are leaders expected to be both tough and flexible? Leadership has long been...
info_outline
Leaders Sensing Versus Managers Knowing
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Why leadership requires sensing and feeling, not just knowing, in 2025 Managers often prioritise what they “know,” while leaders rely more on what they “sense” and “feel.” This distinction, popularised by executive coach Marcel Danne, is more than semantics—it highlights a profound difference in mindset. As of 2025, with Japan navigating demographic challenges, digital disruption, and global uncertainty, the ability to sense and adapt has become more critical than simply knowing facts. What’s the difference between managers and leaders in decision-making? Managers tend to...
info_outline
Leaders Having Visions Were Disparaged
THE Leadership Japan Series by Dale Carnegie Training Tokyo Japan
Why vision, mission, and values still matter in 2025—if leaders make them real Not long ago, talking about “vision” often invited sneers. Leaders who spoke about visions were mocked as spouting psychobabble. Part of the cynicism came from the poor quality of early vision statements—trite platitudes that could double as sleeping aids. But times have changed. In 2025, vision, mission, and values are essential leadership tools, yet most organisations still struggle to make them resonate with staff. Why were visions mocked in the past? In the 1980s and 1990s, many vision statements were...
info_outlineWhy foreign “hammers” fail and what leaders must do differently in 2025
For decades, foreign companies entering Japan have repeated the same mistake: dispatching a “change agent” from HQ to shake things up. The scenario often ends in disaster. Relationships are broken, trust collapses, and revenues fall. In 2025, the lesson is clear—Japan doesn’t need hammers. It needs builders who listen, localise, and lead with respect.
Why do foreign change agents so often fail in Japan?
Most fail because they arrive as “hammers,” assuming Japanese organisations are nails to be pounded. They issue orders, demand compliance, and move quickly to replace “uncooperative” staff. Within months, good people leave, clients are alienated, and HQ is asking why nothing has improved.
In Japan’s relationship-driven culture, trust and precedent matter more than speed. What works in the US or Europe—shock therapy and rapid restructuring—backfires badly in Tokyo.
Mini-Summary: Change agents fail because they impose foreign models on Japan, destroying relationships and trust in the process.
What makes Japan’s business environment unique?
Japan’s corporate culture is deeply relationship-based. Employees and clients alike expect stability, respect for hierarchy, and long-term partnership. Leaders who ignore these norms are seen as reckless and disrespectful.
Imagine if a Japanese executive were sent to New York or Sydney with no English, no knowledge of local clients, and an eagerness to sack your colleagues. How would staff react? That’s how many Japanese employees feel when foreign hammers arrive.
Mini-Summary: Japan values stability, respect, and trust. Ignoring cultural context guarantees resistance to foreign-led change.
How does poor localisation damage performance?
Foreign leaders often fail because they don’t understand Japanese customers, laws, or working styles. Policies designed for HQ markets rarely fit Japan. When imposed, they drive away clients and demoralise employees.
Losing even a handful of senior staff can devastate sales because relationships with clients are personal and long-standing. Unlike in Silicon Valley or London, relationships in Japan cannot be quickly replaced.
Mini-Summary: Poor localisation alienates both staff and customers. Once key relationships are broken in Japan, they are almost impossible to rebuild quickly.
What should leaders do differently before landing in Japan?
Preparation is everything. Leaders should study Japanese language, culture, and business practices before stepping on the plane. They must also build “air cover” at HQ—support for localisation and patience with results.
Quick wins help: small, visible improvements that build credibility. Equally important is identifying influencers inside the Japanese office to champion necessary changes. Instead of dictating, leaders must co-create solutions with the local team.
For a comprehensive roadmap, leaders should read Japan Business Mastery and Japan Leadership Mastery, which remain the most up-to-date guides on how to succeed in Japan’s unique and complex business environment.
Mini-Summary: Leaders should prepare deeply, secure HQ support, and pursue small wins with local influencers. Japan Business Mastery and Japan Leadership Mastery are the definitive playbooks for succeeding in Japan.
Why is listening more powerful than ordering in Japan?
Successful leaders in Japan listen first. They try to understand why processes exist before changing them. What seems inefficient to outsiders may serve a hidden purpose, such as preserving harmony with partners or complying with local regulations.
Listening builds credibility and signals respect. Staff become more open to change when they feel heard. By contrast, ordering without listening provokes silent resistance, where employees nod in meetings but fail to execute later.
Mini-Summary: Listening creates buy-in and reveals hidden logic. Ordering without listening triggers silent resistance in Japan.
How can foreign leaders build rather than wreck in Japan?
The answer is to be a builder, not a wrecker. Builders respect relationships, cultivate influencers, and adapt global practices to local realities. They hasten slowly, introducing sustainable changes without blowing up trust.
Executives at firms like Microsoft Japan and Coca-Cola Japan have shown that localisation, patience, and humility create long-term growth. Change agents may deliver in other markets, but in Japan, only builders succeed.
Mini-Summary: Builders succeed by respecting trust, localising global models, and moving at Japan’s pace.
Conclusion
The “change agent” model is a repeat failure in Japan. In 2025, foreign companies must abandon the hammer approach and embrace a builder mindset—listening, localising, and cultivating trust. Japan’s market is rich, stable, and full of opportunity, but only for leaders who respect its unique culture. For executives who want a practical roadmap, Japan Business Mastery and Japan Leadership Mastery remain the most relevant and up-to-date books on how to win in this demanding environment.
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.