“The Qualities of a Leader” : A Comparative Analysis of the Heisei and Reiwa Eras

This time, Inamori* spoke about the above motto in Kyocera philosophy.

What Inamori said is quoted with “”.

 

In my previous message on “The Qualities of a Leader,” Inamori offered the following view:

“What kind of leadership did the wagon train captains embody? I believe it can be distilled into five key points.

1 Have a strong sense of mission.

2 Envisage clear goals and work to achieve them.

3,Take on new challenges.

4, Earn trust and respect.

5 Act with compassion. ” 

 

By comparison, according to recent articles in the Nikkei and other sources, the qualities expected of leaders today can be summarized in five points:

1. They immerse themselves in work by finding themes they genuinely enjoy.

2. They show gratitude to those around them and work as a team—skillfully involving others and delegating responsibility.

3. They operate not only with a long-term vision or ten-year theme, but also with clear one- to three-year goals.

4. They act by first asking, “How can I apply my abilities and experience to deliver results?” while also maintaining a perspective of “How can I grow?”

5. They act with a strong awareness that their reputation—past, present, and future—always follows them.

 

With these two sets of perspectives in mind, let us consider in more detail the specific qualities that define leadership.

 

 

 

Let me now explore each of these in greater depth.

 

1. Have a strong sense of mission

Words of Mr. Inamori

“It is perfectly fine to begin with a powerful personal desire. Yet if you aim for further growth, I would urge you to uphold a lofty and noble objective —one that can be shared by the entire group—and to make that your ‘mission.’ For a leader, having such a sense of mission, and sharing it collectively, is the most fundamental requirement.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My Comment

I believe this overlaps with the first condition of leadership identified in today’s surveys:

“1. Leaders immerse themselves in work by finding themes they genuinely enjoy.”

In Japan, most people already have plenty of material goods, and very few struggle to secure their daily needs. With strong social safety nets, it is rare for someone to die from hunger or extreme deprivation.

In such an era, the desire to “simply survive” or “just get by” has naturally weakened. Instead, the greater issue today is that many people cannot find true meaning or purpose in their work.

That is why, as this survey suggests, there is a heartfelt expectation for leaders: to show that they themselves are enjoying their work, to embody a theme they are passionate about, and to inspire others through that example.

In today’s context, Inamori’s call for a “sense of mission” might best be understood as the ability to demonstrate ikigai—a sense of fulfillment and purpose—through one’s work.

 

2. Envisage clear goals and work to achieve them.

Words of Mr. Inamori

“At work, I will make very strict demands of all of you. But in return, I will work harder than anyone else—both in terms of time and intensity.’

When it is clear to everyone that the leader is the one who bears the greatest burden, subordinates will inevitably follow. If the leader shows a firm will to achieve the goal and demonstrates a spirit of self-sacrifice through dedicated effort, then no matter how severe the environment, the entire group will unite and press forward to accomplish that goal.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My Comment

I see this as overlapping with the third condition of leadership in today’s surveys:

“3. Leaders operate not only with a long-term vision or ten-year theme, but also with clear one- to three-year goals.”

That said, in today’s workplace, when a leader works harder than anyone else and embodies a spirit of self-sacrifice, team members may feel anxious: “Will we be forced to work the same way?”

Rather than relying solely on this model of devotion, I believe what is needed today is more immediate and tangible goal-setting: Let’s finish this task today. Let’s achieve this number by the end of the month. Let’s grow by this percentage over the year.

Such concrete awareness may be more effective in rallying the team in our times.

 

3. Take on new challenges.

Words of Mr. Inamori

“The next thing I want to pursue is precisely what others tell us we could never accomplish.’ This, indeed, has been the very spirit that Kyocera has cherished since its founding.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My comment:

I believe this corresponds to the fourth condition of modern leadership:

“4. Leaders act by first asking, ‘How can I apply my abilities and experience to deliver results?’ while also maintaining a perspective of ‘How can I grow?’”

Today, rather than placing sole emphasis on setting lofty goals, people look more to how leaders avoid needless conflict, make the most of their unique strengths, and then show how these strengths can evolve into remarkable capabilities in the future. The group’s hope seems to be: We want to see that growth, and we want our leaders to serve as role models for such development.

 

4. Earn trust and respect

Words of Mr. Inamori

“To earn the trust and respect of the group, one must be fair, courageous, positive, and humble.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My comment:

This aligns with the fifth condition of modern leadership:

“5. Leaders act with a strong awareness that their reputation—past, present, and future—always follows them.”

Of course, one’s decisions should not be based solely on how others perceive them. Rather, what matters is having an inner conviction to stay true to what is right as a human being, while maintaining a spirit of positivity and humility. By living in this way, a leader naturally develops the kind of character that Inamori describes. From the outside, such a person appears very much like the modern leader envisioned in condition five—someone who acts with a deep awareness of their own reputation.

 

5. Act with compassion.

Words of Mr. Inamori

“Above all, a leader must demonstrate strong leadership in order to achieve goals. Yet it cannot end there. A true leader must also act with warm compassion, making every effort to understand the thoughts and feelings of those in the group, and to align their direction toward a common purpose. In this way, the leader guides the group toward its ultimate objective. If I may put it boldly, a true leader should be ‘a benevolent dictator—one whose authority is rooted in love and reflects the will of the people.’ ”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My comment:

I find this close to the second condition of modern leadership:

“2. Leaders show gratitude to those around them and work as a team—skillfully involving others and delegating responsibility.”

Personally, I often tend to be too lenient with others, which makes it difficult for me to draw people into a shared goal. Perhaps I am not very good at delegating, either. For that reason, I found Inamori’s phrase—“a benevolent dictator, rooted in love and reflecting the will of the people”—to be a real source of encouragement. It reminded me that even difficult words, when spoken out of genuine concern, must sometimes be said.

 

 

 

* 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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