Japan as Only 1

 Unfortunately, I also make mistakes. I misunderstand things, make assumptions, and sometimes fail to communicate clearly. There is a part of me that wants to say, “No, I told them,” or “I already did my part.” But when I look honestly, there are many times when the fault is clearly mine—because I didn’t explain well enough. At that moment, I have two choices: use power and excuses to cover it up, or admit my mistake and reflect. If you look at it in the short term, covering up may feel easier. But if you look at life as a long journey, admitting your fault is far easier. That much is certain. Living honestly means having no front and no back. When there is no double face, you don’t need to lie to yourself. You may fool others once or twice, but you can never fool yourself. You start living with anxiety—wondering if your lie will be exposed. Worse still, when lying becomes normal, you begin to justify yourself. People around you are not foolish. They quickly underst...

 From November until last week, I had four speaking engagements. I’ve finally completed all of them, and now I can take a short break. To be honest, whenever I give a lecture or presentation outside the company, people are often surprised and give me a lot of compliments. I don’t think I’m bad at presenting—but I truly believe there are many people who are far better than me. Perhaps many Japanese business leaders are not very good at presentations. Professional speakers or people with international experience can engage an audience at a much higher level. I’m nowhere near that level, and honestly, I don’t need to be. My main role is management. For me, this is actually the most dangerous moment. When the thought “I’m good at this” or “I can do this” appears, I tend to stop preparing and stop making an effort. And when effort stops, growth stops. What was once a strength eventually becomes average—or even worse. You may have experienced this before: meeting someone you...

 I actually like troubles . Of course, it’s better if they don’t happen—but when they do, I start getting new ideas for improvement and can take action to make things better. When everything goes smoothly, there’s often little for me to do, and even if I share my thoughts, people don’t really listen. But when things don’t go well, it gives everyone—including myself—a chance to reflect and realize what we can do better. So, when things are going well, we should simply enjoy it. And when things are tough, we should think about how to use that situation for growth. In the end, both good times and bad times can become valuable experiences. This idea originally comes from Konosuke Matsushita, but I truly believe it from my heart. When trouble comes—it’s your chance to grow! Let’s all make the most of it together.