This time, Inamori* spoke about the above motto in Kyocera philosophy.
What Inamori said is quoted with “”.
“ If I had thought, ‘If I had worked hard with my knowledge of organic chemistry, I might be able to create a brilliant career in this field. However, in this area of ceramics, which I hadn’t studied much and eventually got involved in, no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t have any success.’, then I had neglected to make an effort, I probably wouldn’t be who I am today.
Although I eventually got involved in a field which I was unfamiliar with, I made an effort to improve and polish my abilities by studying and working hard. As I continued to work hard, motivated by the desire to “succeed” and “make a breakthrough,” rather than clinging to the knowledge and achievements I had acquired in the past, my research eventually began to go well and I began to distinguish myself at work. “
What Mr. Inamori wants to stress are the following three points:
1. Our mindset is the source of everything
2. Be always optimistic and work hard.
3. Stay away from so-called common sense
Let me explain one by one.
1. Our mindset is the source of everything
” I think it’s fair to say that I created the fine ceramics boom, but some people say that the fine ceramics boom came first, and we were successful simply because we were able to follow the boom and jumped on the bandwagon. In this regard, I once said the following to our staff: ‘They don’t understand anything at all. We created the boom. Moreover, we didn’t have any great technology for fine ceramics from the beginning. All we had was a philosophy. This philosophy is the source of everything.’
In other words, the heart and mindset is the root and seed of everything, and everything arose from there, just like a tree grows. When we founded the company, we created something called the ‘Kyocera Philosophy,’ even though it was a prototype, and we have relied on it. I believe that this is what allowed the fine ceramics technology to blossom and brought success to Kyocera. “
→ It is the heart and mind that directs human behavior. If we are driven by greed, we will act greedily, and if compassion moves us, we will adopt a compassionate attitude. The human heart and mindset create all reality. Unfortunately, most people do not realize this truth.
I strongly believe that learning human beings is quite important and meaningful. The human mind is so complex that it is not easy to understand it. I think Inamori is saying that by understanding this fundamental truth, then cleaning up and purifying our own mind, the path to success will open up.
2. Be always optimistic and work hard
“ When I started DDI, instead of getting depressed, I was always optimistic and thought ‘We have the Kyocera philosophy’. If I continue to work hard according to that Kyocera philosophy, the way will open up.’ Even though a negative feeling may discourage you, you need to be cheerful and optimistic. This is also one aspect of ‘Pursuing the infinite possibilities of human beings.’ “
→ There are many self-help books in the world. There are also many videos, apps, movies, and novels that help you find your calling or suitable job. I think that people are overwhelmed by the flood of information, and it is difficult to find what they want to do. Furthermore, they don’t want to lose or fail, you will not be able to take any proper action.
You will look for many examples of failure from these sources and restrict yourself by saying, “You should not do action A.” On the other hand, you find the opposite information, “You should do action A, avoid action B.” That’s why you won’t be able to take any action. At such times, it is important to find a compass to help you regain yourself and live on your own axis. I believe philosophy is a compass for living your life.
3. Stay away from so-called common sense
“ If I didn’t believe in my infinite abilities, my challenge would be like Don Quixote. Some people said that I was idiot and looked like committing suicide, but I believed that if I worked hard, a path would open up, and my challenge wasn’t something I said because I was desperate . . .
I founded DDI when I was just over 50 years old. I was not young, but I believed that this was the proof that there is nothing we can’t do if we pursue the infinite potential of human beings or believe in the infinite abilities of human beings. ”
→ Sometimes so called common senses can hinder our abilities. Scientist Kunihiko Takeda said, “What you believe to be correct now will be proven incorrect in 100 years.” Looking back on my own life, the future I envisioned 20 years ago is now found to be a mistake.
I think it was dangerous to assume everything based on the common sense of the time and restrict our actions by saying that we must do things this way. Questioning common sense and not being trapped by it is an attitude that is necessary to develop our abilities.
Well, to sum up, to achieve great success, you need to understand the importance of mind and heart, not stick with the common senses, and work hard with your own compass. I think philosophy is exactly the procedure manual that puts this credo into writing for us to easily understand. We will rely on philosophy to navigate the VUCA world, and I really appreciate Inamori’s suggestions.
* Mr. Kazuo Inamori, the founder of Kyocera, KDDI (one of the top tele communication companies in Japan) and the top of revitalization project of JAL. As a well-known Japanese entrepreneur, he has been sharing his experiences and management know-how with managements of small to middle companies in Japan.
Further queries or doubts, please email to ytomizuka@abrilsjp.com
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