Leading in Japan: Lessons in Culture, Business, and Building Teams That Last

Fifteen years of growing businesses in Japan taught me that real success is earned through respect, presence, and a deep understanding of local values.

Fifteen years ago, I began a journey with Japan that would challenge, and ultimately transform, my views on leadership, teamwork, and building businesses. At the time, I lived in Shanghai and had just joined Microsoft to lead a new strategic initiative: rolling out social media customer support across Asia-Pacific, Japan and China (APJC). It was a bold move for Microsoft, coinciding with the launch of Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8, new Office, and the very first Surface. The mission was clear: create digital channels that resonated with millennials and digital natives across 20+ countries and 9 languages. But for all my experience, Japan, our top market, remained an unknown.

A reorganization shifted my reporting line to Kakimoto-san, a manager based in Tokyo, with most of my new teammates also in Japan. Suddenly, I found myself learning not just a new business, but a new culture, one that required humility, patience, and a willingness to question my own assumptions. My first lesson came quickly, via a colleague who shared a proverb I still think about:

Deru kugi wa utareru (The nail that sticks out gets hammered down)

It was a worldview I recognized from my own upbringing in the USSR, where blending in and respecting the collective were deeply valued. But in Japan, I would discover, these principles are not just cultural artifacts, they are everyday operating systems for life and business.

Understanding Japanese Culture: Beyond the Surface

Japan is often described as modern, global, and technologically advanced. All true. But beneath the surface, it is also beautifully traditional, shaped by centuries of social norms and philosophies. The concept of wa (harmony) governs interactions; giri (duty) and on (obligation) guide relationships; and the distinction between tatemae (public face) and honne (true feelings) is central to communication.

For a leader, this means that loud confidence and rapid-fire decision-making, which are often prized in the West, are not always the right moves here. Instead, success is measured in trust, consistency, and the ability to read the room.

Lesson 1: Humility Travels Farther Than Speed

Ambition is not unwelcome in Japan, but humility is the ticket to real influence. I quickly learned that listening was more powerful than pitching, and that asking “How does this work here?” was often more productive than presenting a solution. Pronouncing names correctly, learning the context, and taking time to build rapport mattered more than making a splashy first impression.

Lesson 2: Consensus Is Built Before the Meeting

The Japanese decision-making process is famously consensus-driven. Two concepts were key for me:

• Nemawashi — the informal groundwork of aligning stakeholders through 1:1 conversations before any formal meeting.

• Ringi — the formal approval process that ratifies consensus that’s already been built.

If you try to “sell” an idea in the meeting itself, you’re already too late. Doing the quiet, respectful pre-work means the “yes” comes with dignity and confidence.

Lesson 3: Feedback Is an Art — Say the Hard Thing Softly

Direct confrontation rarely works in Japan. Instead, difficult feedback needs to be delivered with care, often in writing or in a private conversation, with a focus on the issue, not the individual. Understanding tatemae and honne helped me see that what’s said in public may differ from what’s shared in private, and that’s not hypocrisy but social intelligence.

Lesson 4: Strategy Must Localize or It Dies

No global playbook survives first contact with Japan. Winning here means co-creating plans with local teams, testing messaging in Japanese, and anchoring on credible local references. I learned to spend time at the gemba, the place where value is created, whether that’s a partner office, a customer site, or a support delivery center. Local truths trump global slides.

Lesson 5: Partners Are an Ecosystem, Not a Channel

In Japan, business runs on trust networks. Legacy structures like keiretsu (business groups) may have evolved, but the mindset remains: relationships compound over years, not quarters. Treating partners as true extensions of your business, through training, joint planning, and shared accountability, turns episodic sales into a durable pipeline.

Lesson 6: Presence Matters — Show Up, In Person, Often

One of the biggest mistakes foreign leaders make is trying to “cover” Japan from afar. Early in my career, I underestimated the power of face time and tried to manage nuance over email. It cost me cycles and credibility. Now, I commit to being in-market every quarter (and more in my first year). In Japan, presence is not just a strategy, it’s respect.

Lesson 7: Rituals Build Trust, If You Do Them Right

Some of my most important breakthroughs happened outside the office, at nomikai (after-work gatherings). These informal dinners and drinks are where real questions get asked and trust is built. But nomikai can also be exhausting, so I learned to set gentle boundaries — one drink, lots of water, early exits, and follow-up lunches to include non-drinkers. The goal is belonging, not just participation.

Lesson 8: Learn from Mistakes and Share Them

I’ve made plenty of missteps: pushing brainstorms too publicly, trying to rush consensus, or translating HQ goals without grounding them in local realities. The fixes were simple but not easy: more nemawashi, clearer written summaries in Japanese and English, tighter proof points, and more listening than talking.

Societal and Business Context: Why Japan Is Unique

Japan’s uniqueness comes from its blend of scale, tradition, and relentless focus on quality. The market values stability, reliability, and long-term relationships over quick wins. Hierarchies matter, but so does the idea that everyone must pull together for the team. This creates a business environment where patience, meticulous planning, and cultural fluency are at a premium.

Where I Am Now: Cisco and the Road Ahead

In my current role at Cisco, Japan once again is a central market. My first trip was to Tokyo, where I spent valuable time with my team, Cisco Japan’s senior leadership, customers, and partners. The energy and spirit are real, and so is the excitement for what’s ahead. We’re localizing our go-to-market strategy, investing in our people, and building plans rooted in local insight, not just global mandates.

I have open roles on my team, two sales positions and others in channel and customer success. I know a seller in Japan won’t operate like one in the US or Australia, and that’s precisely what I’m looking for: ambitious, coachable, creative people, who are willing to learn, adapt, and earn trust the Japanese way. If that’s you, or if you know someone who would thrive here, I welcome referrals.

Final Thought: Still Learning, Still Inspired

After 15 years, I’m still learning from Japan, about business, society, and myself. If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone building a business here, it’s this.
Bring ambition but wear it lightly. Respect the culture, invest in relationships, and show up again and again. The rewards are deep, lasting, and truly unique.

---

If you found these insights valuable, please share this article with colleagues or friends who are building businesses in Japan, managing teams here, or exploring go-to-market strategies for the Japanese market.