“Reiwa era vs. Heisei era leadership” : The Qualities of a Leader — Why the Wagon Train?

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

What Inamori said is quoted with “”.

 

“No matter how lofty a management philosophy one may proclaim, or how sophisticated a management system one may build, whether it is put into practice correctly depends entirely on the leader.

Therefore, in today’s lecture, under the theme of ‘The Qualities of a Leader’ I would like to speak about what kind of person a leader should be, standing at the forefront of corporate activities and striving with all their might.

When I reflect on what an ideal leader should be, the image that immediately comes to mind is the captain of a wagon train in the days of America’s westward expansion. I believe that such a wagon master—like those portrayed by John Wayne in Western films—vividly embodies the true essence of leadership.

As you know, wagon trains departed from the eastern part of North America and pressed on toward the uncharted western frontier. For months, sometimes for over a year, they advanced in formation, undertaking a massive migration. Along the way, the wagon trains encountered countless hardships and obstacles, and many were forced to abandon their journey halfway.

The fate of each wagon train rested in the hands of its leader, the captain. Only those wagon trains led by a captain with extraordinary leadership were able to reach their final destination in the West. ”

 

This was a story told by Mr. Inamori in 2012, when he was 80 years old.

The year 2012 was still marked by the lingering effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Economic uncertainty abounded, and in December of that year, under the Abe administration, policies to overcome deflation were being considered.

Considering this backdrop, when Mr. Inamori reflected on what ideal leadership should look like, he chose to speak about the captain of a wagon train.

Today, if you look at the conditions for leadership as discussed in sources such as the Nikkei Economic Newspaper, they are often summarized in the following five points:

 

1. Having a theme within one’s work that is enjoyable and fully engaging in it.

2. Appreciating those around you, working as a team, and as a result, excelling at involving others and delegating effectively.

3. Acting not only on a vision or medium-term theme (10 years), but also with clear, concrete goals for one to three years.

4. Acting with a focus on “how to apply one’s abilities and experience to achieve results,” while also maintaining the perspective of “how one can continue to grow.”

5. Acting with a strong awareness that one’s reputation—past, present, and future—always follows them.

 

Considering these points, why did Mr. Inamori choose the wagon train captain as his model of leadership at that time?

I believe the main reasons can be summarized in three points:

 

 

 

Let me now explore each of these in greater depth.

 

1. He was leading toward uncharted new frontiers.

Words of Mr. Inamori

“In other words, the settlers—driven by their yearning for a rich new land, a ‘paradise’ that promised happiness and fulfillment through the acquisition of wealth—and their descendants who inherited this spirit, harbored an intense desire. With dreams and hopes in their hearts, they boarded the covered wagons, lined up in formation, and set out one after another for the new frontier. And at the head of that line stood the captain of the wagon train.

Thus, at the root of America’s westward expansion lay the fundamental desire to become prosperous, and standing at the very pinnacle of that powerful aspiration was the wagon master.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My Comment

In times of economic uncertainty, I believe this intense desire “to become prosperous” was the strongest driving force. However, today—although Japan has moved on from the recession following the Great Earthquake, and despite the challenges of COVID—we now face inflation, labor shortages, and the economic realities of a declining and aging population.

Under such circumstances, people in Japan can still maintain a certain standard of living without working much, supported by social security or by living with their parents. Therefore, what is needed now is not simply the desire for prosperity, but rather “the will to work,” “motivation.”

 

Underlying this motivation are sentiments such as:

“I don’t want to suffer a loss.”

“I want to work efficiently.”

“I want to make money with ease.”

And above all, as emphasized here:

“It looks fun, it excites me.”

 

These are the kinds of factors that motivate Japanese people to work.

To move the Japanese toward goals, it is not only the desire to become prosperous that matters. What is equally important today is the removal of anxieties, the wish to stand out—if only slightly—among one’s peers, and the pursuit of emotional uplift and enjoyment. These are now gaining far more attention as motivating forces.

 

2. The lives of all comrades—men, women, young, and old—depended on him.

Words of Mr. Inamori

“The wagon trains set out from the eastern United States, each with its sights set on a particular destination in the western frontier. The captain was entrusted with the responsibility of safely leading everyone to that land. Yet what lay before them was uncharted territory with no maps, and on top of that, harsh forces of nature stood in their way. Rugged mountains and deserts blocked their path; wolves, cougars, and other wild beasts no doubt attacked them at times. They also had to confront battles with the native people—the Indians.

Many groups and families traveled in these wagon trains for months on end. Among them were not only rough men burning with a fierce desire to become prosperous in the West, but also delicate women and very young children. The captain of the wagon train was thus required to unify such diverse people and guide them all the way to their destination, exercising a powerful centripetal force.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My Comment

Here we can sense a life-or-death determination: we must reach our destination no matter what, we must protect everyone’s lives. It was truly a desperate struggle for survival.

Today, however, as we see in America, taxes collected from the people have grown large, and many businesses now rely on this revenue in the form of subsidies. People increasingly depend on social security. In Japan as well, it seems that very few people today face starvation or crushing poverty that renders life unsustainable. (Of course, I may be mistaken in this understanding…)

If this is the case, then the sense of responsibility once placed on leaders—to protect lives, to secure employment—has shifted. Instead, what people now expect more strongly is: “Lead us in a way that makes work enjoyable.” In other words, leaders are asked to inspire the will to work and elevate motivation.

I believe this shift is clearly reflected in the first, second, and third points of today’s criteria for an ideal leader, expressed in the research conducted by Nikkei.

 

3. He was laying the foundation for a new era.

Words of Mr. Inamori

“Moreover, the present prosperity of the IT industry—represented by Microsoft, Apple, and other companies located on the West Coast of the United States and now dominating the world—can be seen as lying on the very extension of the achievements of those wagon trains. In that sense, it is no exaggeration to say that the wagon trains laid the very foundation for America’s development.”

(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)

 

My Comment

I believe this is one of the reasons why Mr. Inamori chose the captain of the wagon train as his model of the ideal leader. The spirit of enterprise, the pioneering mindset that drives today’s cutting-edge companies, can be traced back to this very heritage. His message was: Follow this flow, and be part of it.

This is reflected in the fourth criterion of today’s leadership model. People are drawn to leaders under whom they can also grow, who enable them to step ahead of others and move one step into the future.

 

What is especially striking is the fifth point. In today’s world, with the spread of social media, every single action of a leader is exposed to public scrutiny, subject to criticism and commentary.

As a result, leaders tend to act based on the axis of public perception—“How will society view me?”—rather than on their own convictions. I fear this risks erasing the axis of the self, the fundamental questions: “What is right as a human being?” “What does it mean to be a ruler who truly puts the people first?”

Whether such leaders will emerge in Japan is uncertain. Yet around the world, many of the leaders now considered “outliers” or “mavericks” act not out of concern for how society judges them, but rather from their own belief in what they regard as justice.

 

In Japan, however, I believe the model of leadership outlined by the Nikkei will remain, for at least the next five to ten years, the standard by which society recognizes leaders and individuals model themselves. Japanese people are often said to value harmony and to find virtue in being the same as others. Whether this tendency will prove a blessing or a curse for Japan’s future development will depend on the direction the world as a whole is moving.

 

 

In the coming issues, I would like to continue exploring the conditions and qualities required of leaders.

 

 

* 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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