BOUNDARYLESS LEADERSHIP PODCAST

Episode 21.

The Everyday Practice of Authentic Leadership

with Joji Koda

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In this episode, Nozomi and Joji discuss:

  • Gaining an international experience in childhood.  
  • The influences of our lives, both where we live and who we are around. 
  • Having clear goals and objectives and holding yourself accountable. 
  • The importance of a mindset of learning and practice. 

 

Key Takeaways:

  • The social impact of the military in the United States and in Japan (the Self-Defense Force) is very different due to its history and background. Be curious, ask questions, and learn about other cultures. 
  • We live in a diverse culture. What is ideal leadership for you, may not be the same for someone else. 
  • Context and culture play an important role in understanding. If there is no understanding, there is no true communication. 
  • The world is changing so fast. It is impossible to know it all and to be the sole expert in every single aspect of the business. 

 

“Because we live in a diverse culture and environment, I really stopped thinking about what the ideal leadership would look like, instead in I really wanted to be myself and focus on what I can do today, make decisions every single day, and be accountable for that.” —  Joji Koda

“I think assumption is always the devil. If you assume they understand you, if you assume they think this way, that’s when mistakes start happening.” — Nozomi Morgan 

“Life is about choices and priorities, just be accountable for it.” —  Joji Koda

About Joji Koda

Joji is an investment and finance professional with various experiences in PE (growth capital), cross-border investment, structured finance, real estate finance, securitization, workout, and special situations. He is also a seasoned executive as an investor, CFO/COO, board of directors, and advisor to managing all business cycles across geographies from start-up, growth, restructuring, and turnaround to distress in a variety of industries.

Joji is currently a Director, Head of Joint Venture Partnerships at Ripple, a crypto solutions company that transforms how the world moves, manages, and tokenizes value, headquartered in San Francisco. He also serves as an Outside Director of the Board at HOMMA Group, where he assumed the CFO/COO role until August 2022. He joined MUFG Bank (formerly UFJ) in 2002, followed by a move to GE Capital in 2007, where he led various structured finance deals and equity investment transactions. At Cool Japan Fund, an investment arm of the Japanese Government which he joined as one of the early members of its investment team in 2013, Joji directed investments in 4 countries (UK, UAE, Singapore, and Vietnam). Before joining HOMMA, Joji spearheaded operational improvement projects at EY TAS for MNCs to help transform their global businesses.

Joji has a BA from Hosei University and an MBA from Chicago Booth. While he was born and raised in Japan, Joji lived in Maryland and Rhode Island when he was young.

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