Don’t be delusional. Do you consider yourself moody? Perhaps not, but as a boss, your team may perceive you differently. Employees are keenly attuned to your every movement, tone, body language and expression, constantly evaluating your mood to gauge whether it's a good time to approach you with work-related matters. Your ability to mask emotions or maintain equilibrium amidst challenges significantly influences the workplace atmosphere.

As the leader, your mood sets the tone for the day. A positive attitude can uplift the team, while a negative one can drag them down. The challenge lies in maintaining this positivity consistently, regardless of personal troubles or external factors like the weather or how you are feeling. Leaders must avoid expressing judgments about uncontrollable elements, like a rainy day or a sunny morning, which might signal to others that emotions can be swayed by such minor elements.

Beyond weather, procrastination is another mood indicator leaders should watch. When faced with daunting or unpleasant tasks, it’s easy to divert attention elsewhere—emails, calls, or minor administrivia—rather than tackle the priority head-on. This avoidance can diminish motivation and affect the team’s perception of your leadership. Similarly, setbacks like low revenues, missed deadlines or subpar performance from team members can derail your positive mindset. However, as a leader, you cannot blow your stack. You need to respond very carefully and thoughtfully.

Effective leadership demands discipline and emotional control. It’s about engaging both intellect and empathy to guide decisions and maintain team morale, even under pressure. Leaders cannot indulge in visible frustration or unchecked emotion. Instead, they must project confidence and resilience, serving as a stabilizing force for the team. While perfection is unattainable, the image of a steady and composed leader is crucial.

Ultimately, being a “sunny boss” isn’t about feigned cheerfulness but about demonstrating consistent emotional stability. Leaders must resist letting external factors or internal fears dictate their behavior. By cultivating self-discipline, they can positively influence their team’s mood and productivity, ensuring the workplace remains a place of progress and collaboration, no matter the challenges.

Stop wrecking your presentations. When delivering talks, many speakers separate their personal identities from the content, focusing solely on facts, data, and evidence. This approach, often favored by technical individuals, misses the opportunity to create deeper engagement with the audience. As an introvert, I understand the hesitation to share personal stories. However, keeping oneself out of the narrative is a significant mistake. Injecting personal experiences and insights into a presentation transforms it from theoretical to practical, resonating more deeply with the audience.

Audiences crave authenticity and reality. Like seeking honest consumer product reviews, they value real-life stories that reflect genuine experiences. Personal anecdotes not only enhance our credibility but also foster a stronger bond with listeners. Sharing struggles, mistakes, and lessons learned, even when they don’t portray us in a perfect light, builds trust. Audiences find overly polished speakers unrelatable and prefer those who reveal their human side, including their flaws and vulnerabilities.

Self-deprecating humor is particularly effective in this context. For example, sales master Zig Ziglar shared humorous anecdotes about his early career struggles, which endeared him to his audience. Such humor, focused on the speaker’s own missteps rather than targeting others, is both relatable and disarming. It demonstrates humility and reinforces the authenticity of the speaker’s message.

It took me a long time to go from being a highly private person, reluctant to share personal stories, to embracing a more open approach in presentations. I discovered that audiences appreciated honesty and authenticity, resonating more strongly with talks that included my personal insights. This realization underscores the value of incorporating elements of oneself into public speaking. By doing so, we can create a genuine connection with their audience, increasing the acceptance and impact of our message.

Our presentation is not merely a delivery of facts; it is an opportunity to engage and connect. Sharing personal stories, struggles, and even humorous anecdotes helps bridge the gap between ourselves and the audience. This human touch makes the presentation more compelling and memorable, leaving a lasting impression that resonates far beyond the immediate event.

Salespeople are ignorant. When interacting with Japanese buyers, personality differences play a more critical role than cultural differences. Understanding personality styles can help improve communication and sales success. A two-axis framework categorizes personality types: a horizontal axis measures from low assertion on the left across to high assertion on the right, and a vertical axis measuring people orientation at the top vs. outcome focus down below.

Bottom right, the Driver type is highly assertive and outcome-driven. Often business founders, they value results over relationships, preferring direct and efficient communication. They make decisions quickly and dislike time-wasting, and their decisiveness can be final. To engage Drivers, use high energy and provide concise, results-oriented arguments – no fluff allowed.

In the opposite diagonal, at top left is the Amiable. Low in assertiveness but highly people-focused. They prioritize relationships and team harmony. Amiables prefer a slower pace, avoiding conflict, and ensuring group consensus before making decisions. Communicating effectively with them involves lowering energy, soft voice and body language, emphasizing empathy, and building trust over time.

The Expressive in top right is assertive and people-oriented. They thrive on enthusiasm, big-picture ideas, and social interactions. Often found in sales, training or creative fields, Expressives dislike details and data, but enjoy vision and brainstorming. Engaging them requires matching their energy, discussing future possibilities, but don’t bog them down in the weeds.

In contrast, at opposite diagonal in the bottom left, the Analytical is low in assertiveness and focused on data, lots of data. Detail-oriented and logical, they value evidence, precision, proof, testimonials, and clarity. Common in technical roles, they require extensive proof before making decisions. To connect with them, bring detailed data, avoid emotional appeals, and give them time to process.

To maximize sales success in Japan, sellers must adapt their preferred communication style to that of each buyer's personality. Sticking to one’s natural style works for only one in four interactions, but tailoring communication ensures we can hit all the bases. Adjusting tone, energy, and message focus to align with these personality types—Driver, Amiable, Expressive, or Analytical—enhances engagement, connection and gets results.

Stop being weak. The beauty, weight loss, fashion, and entertainment industries inundate us with images of unattainable perfection, leaving many feeling inadequate—too tall, short, fat, thin, or unsuccessful. It’s easy to fall into the trap of wishing for better circumstances: wealthier parents, a better education, or a more favorable start in life. But wishing changes nothing; the past cannot be undone. While mistakes, poor choices, and misfortunes may weigh us down, the key is to stop dwelling on what lies behind us and channel that energy into moving forward.

To progress, we must act as our own first responder, rescuing ourselves. No external savior will arrive to lift us out of difficulty; we must create our own rescue plan. The first step is to free ourselves from the burdens of the past. Painful or unjust experiences may linger, but we can minimize their impact by mentally compartmentalizing them. Imagine sealing those memories in a transparent, impenetrable bulb, where they are visible, but cannot escape to contaminate today. Recalling the past but without allowing worry to dominate is crucial for breaking free.

Once liberated from the mental burdens of yesterday, we shift focus to today and our available strengths. The most valuable asset we possess is time. How we spend it determines our ability to create a better future. Viewing time as an asset opens the door to productive action. The process begins by crafting a clear vision of the life we want to lead. This vision should guide the creation of specific, realistic goals, broken down into actionable steps.

Every moment spent on these steps builds momentum, moving us closer to our desired future. By focusing solely on what is within our control today and dedicating our time wisely, we can transform our lives. This self-rescue costs nothing but a small fraction of our greatest resource—time.

The journey forward requires discipline, but it offers the freedom to shape a meaningful, empowered existence. Rather than wishing for different circumstances or dwelling on the past, taking intentional steps toward progress ensures growth and success. In reclaiming control over our time and actions, we break free from excuses, self-pity, limitations and create a pathway to fulfillment.

Some MCs are idiots. At a sports related event filled with free-flowing drinks, idle chatter, and hundreds of attendees, the presentations quickly unraveled into a comedy of errors. The MC, tasked with introducing the main speaker, faced an uninterested crowd more captivated by their own conversations than the proceedings on stage. In a desperate bid for attention, the MC resorted to shooshing the audience, first gently, then with exaggerated, strident authority, as if addressing unruly schoolchildren. This tactic only drew ridicule, amplifying the noise and making the atmosphere even more chaotic.

When the main speaker took the stage, the MC’s antics continued, with unhelpful interjections and more shooshing during the speech. Unfortunately, the speaker lacked the skills to command attention, their words drowned out by the persistent hum of more self interested conversations. Subsequent speakers fared no better, victims of an audience too engrossed in their own chatter to care. Blame could be assigned to the unengaging speakers, the audience's rudeness, or both, but such analysis is too generous. The free flow of alcohol played a pivotal role; once the drinks started, the audience's focus shifted entirely to themsleves.

In Japan, a different approach to similar events often yields better results. Alcohol is withheld until speeches are over, incentivizing discipline with the promise of a toast. While this method isn’t foolproof, it significantly reduces distractions, fostering a more attentive audience. However, the Japanese system also has its flaws, such as lengthy, monotonous speeches that can test even the most patient and thirsty listeners.

For speakers facing such booze heightened challenges, the key lies in preparation and technique. Successful presentations start with a powerful, concise message that engages the audience immediately. Asking interactive, thought-provoking questions tailored to the event’s theme—like rallying sports fans to cheer for their favorite teams—can channel the audience’s energy positively. Following this, a pause to capitalize on the crowd’s silence ensures full attention for an impactful opening. Maintaining interest requires a blend of storytelling, vivid imagery, and dynamic energy.

When addressing a noisy or distracted audience, a speaker must project energy levels exceeding the crowd’s, creating a commanding presence akin to a rock star’s performance. Amplified gestures, a powerful voice, and strategic engagement can cut through distractions. In contrast, uninspiring speeches and ineffective MCs, as in this event, doom speakers to be snubbed, ignored and completely forgotten. With proper techniques, a speaker can transform crowd chaos into an opportunity, standing out as a rare and skilled bolshie crowd wrangler.

Salespeople leave money on the table. The sales process doesn’t end with a signed agreement; delivery is the critical next step. Whether immediate or delayed, it’s often handled by someone other than the salesperson—usually agents, contractors, or back-office staff. Salespeople, meanwhile, quickly shift focus on new deals, leaving follow-up with buyers neglected. This is a common mistake that can cost opportunities and relationships. Instead, it is vital to schedule post-delivery meetings with buyers to ensure satisfaction, address issues, and explore further opportunities.

A post-delivery meeting allows salespeople to confirm the product or service met expectations, ensuring any issues are promptly resolved. In Japan, for instance, quick fixes are essential due to tight supply chain imperatives and high customer expectations. By being proactive, salespeople can prevent disruptions to the buyer’s operations and strengthen trust. Additionally, feedback reveals whether buyers remain sold on the product, setting the stage for reorders, cross-selling, or upselling.

Clients often test vendors with small initial orders before committing to larger ones. Passing these tests consistently builds confidence and increases order sizes over time. Moreover, follow-up meetings can uncover additional needs that weren’t disclosed initially. Market changes or deeper trust can reveal new opportunities. Salespeople who only prioritize new prospects risk missing these growth chances with existing clients.

A structured approach aids in maximizing account development. Using a matrix, salespeople list clients vertically and products horizontally, marking current supplies, high-probability opportunities, and less-likely possibilities. This visual tool often highlights overlooked opportunities. Expanding relationships requires the courage to ask simple questions like, “Are there other needs we could help with?” or seeking referrals by narrowing the context, e.g., “In your golf group, is there someone who might benefit from our solution?”

Make sure it is a focused referral request. Broad questions like “Do you know anyone?” overwhelm buyers, while specific contexts help them visualize candidates. For example, asking about their golf group narrows down candidates, yielding better responses.

Sales success isn’t just about closing new deals. It’s about leveraging existing relationships for deeper connections, additional sales, and high-quality referrals. Action steps include scheduling time with the buyer post-delivery, resolving issues swiftly, preparing a product-client matrix for further opportunities, and refining referral requests to maximize impact. Staying engaged post-sale transforms satisfied clients into repeat customers and valuable advocates.

Japan discriminates against women in business. Former Prime Minister Abe’s modest targets for increasing female leadership numbers failed miserably. Abe’s campaign got nowhere, and with their tail between their legs, the Government significantly lowered their targets. This lack of progress is mirrored in Japan’s Rotary Clubs, traditionally male-dominated bastions within a global organization designed to foster professional connections and community contribution.

Until recently, 94% of Japanese Rotary Clubs had no women members, including my own club. Since I joined in 2002, debates over admitting women were an annual occurrence, with opposition gradually dwindling as older members passed on. While there were no explicit rules against female members, selection processes magically excluded women. Thankfully, this era has ended in my club, although women still make up only 5% of Japanese Rotary membership, compared to the global average of 23%.

Rotary in Japan remains a stronghold of influential businessmen, from local entrepreneurs to corporate captains of industry. These clubs reinforce existing male networks built during school and university years. While Rotary membership grows globally, Japan’s numbers have sharply declined since 2000, falling to less than half the world growth average. The recent acceptance of women marks a turning point, spurred more by declining membership rather than a genuine embrace of diversity.

My own high powered club is large, wealthy, and conservative, with an average member age of 70 full of major CEOs and Chairman. If even this elite group can accept women, it does signal some broader societal change. My fellow club members are leaders of Japan’s largest corporations, so one hopes progress here reflects an evolving corporate culture.

However, women’s underrepresentation in corporate training programs and leadership reveals latent barriers. Only 30% of participants in our company in-house training programs are women. Why? Because middle management is monopolised by men who do not groom women for future leadership positions.

Diversity training is common now but often misdirected. With the current political pushback going on in America against DEI programmes, I wonder what will be the fallout in Japan? Companies here focus on upskilling women rather than educating male bosses about inclusive leadership. Often, I feel the whole exercise is a fake head nod to show they are doing something without achieving anything. The box has been checked and everyone can now move on.

True leadership goes beyond managing processes; it involves developing all employees, including women. Without addressing male Middle Management’s role in perpetuating gender bias, progress will always be elusive.

Abe’s original pathetic targets for women in leadership still remain distant. Womens’ advancement hinges on male decision-makers recognizing their role in promoting talent. Just as Rotary evolved to include women, Japanese businesses must transform their leadership approaches or pay the piper. Starting with male Middle Management, Japan’s fostering of inclusive leadership is essential for Japan’s future success. We are running out of people here and we need women to play a more active role in companies as leaders.

Presenters get this wrong. Avoid creating a barrier between yourself and the audience. Presenters are often elevated on a stage or positioned at the front of the room, surrounded by podiums, slides, lighting, and microphones, all of which can inadvertently distance them from their audience. In Japan, standing above a seated audience requires an apology at the start of the speech, as such positioning implies superiority in a hierarchy-conscious society. Similarly, using a commanding voice or overly formal demeanour can create unnecessary separations. Instead, focus on building rapport and connection.

To persuade your audience effectively, remove as many barriers as possible. Speak conversationally, as though addressing close friends with whom trust and familiarity have already been established. This approach creates an atmosphere of shared confidences, making the audience feel they are privy to special insights and data. Transition from speaking at your audience to speaking with them.

One practical technique is to engage with your audience before the presentation. Arrive early, converse with attendees, and ask about their reasons for attending. Incorporate these interactions into your talk. Mention names and comments from the audience to create a sense of inclusion and intimacy. For example: “Suzuki-san mentioned an interesting point earlier,” or, “Obayashi-san shared new data during our chat before lunch.” Recognizing individuals publicly not only builds connection but also enhances their sense of value.

Adjust your tone to be more inclusive and conversational. Speak as though you’re chatting over a backyard fence rather than addressing a formal audience. Use gestures to draw people in, such as extending your arm with an open palm or miming an embrace of the entire audience. Maintain eye contact for about six seconds per person to ensure inclusivity without discomfort.

Self-disparaging humour can also break down hierarchy. Boris Johnson, for example, uses humour to appear more relatable, despite his elite background. While you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, avoid overdoing it, as excessive self-deprecation can seem insincere or manipulative.

To foster connection, shift your mindset to a friendly, informal setting. Include your audience in your presentation, adopt a conversational tone, and use gestures and humour to build rapport. These strategies make your delivery engaging, memorable, and effective.