In this episode, Nozomi and Sox discuss:
- Sox’s professional journey as a Japanese Canadian and relearning Japanese for business.
- Understanding cultural differences and pushing barriers when needed.
- Challenges of innovation and global marketing in Japan.
- Being clear in the destination and the purpose, but enjoying the journey.
Key Takeaways:
- Fundamentally, people worldwide are similar and have similar values. However, there are nuances in communication that you will need to learn and adjust to.
- You can build your own culture within your team, regardless of the wider country’s culture.
- Diversity is more than just meeting a quota and goes deeper than just the optics.
- Influence what you can influence, but don’t stress about what you can’t control.
“We need to think out of the box. We need to be innovative as employees and not in a box, worried about the future. We need to take risks.” — Masaki “Sox” Konno
“Human beings look at optics – that’s the first sense of you that makes an impression. At the same time, we’re all different. And I think it’s the internal diversity that matters, especially in Japan. When I was trying to build a diverse team, I realized, I don’t need the optics, I just need the mentality of diversity.” — Masaki “Sox” Konno
“The clarity that you have is what really makes you a good leader. Because of that, then when people are following you, they know what to follow, because they know where you’re heading.” — Nozomi Morgan