I recently sat down with Yoshiaki Ito, former CEO of Sony Pictures Japan, to talk about leadership, transformation, and what it really takes to drive change inside a large Japanese organization.

Sony Pictures Japan is not a startup. It is a complex, global business operating inside one of the most relationship-driven corporate environments in the world. Turning such an organization around requires far more than speed or authority.

What stood out from our conversation was not what changed — but how change was led.

Below are a few lessons that global leaders often overlook when operating in Japan.

1. Transformation in Japan Is About Credibility, Not Urgency
Outside Japan, transformation is often framed as a race against time. Inside Japan, it is a test of credibility.

Real momentum came not from bold announcements, but from:

• clearly defined priorities
• consistent follow-through
  leaders
• personally standing behind decisions
• Once credibility was established, execution followed — decisively.

2. Authority Alone Does Not Create Alignment
One of the biggest misconceptions global executives have is assuming that hierarchy guarantees execution.

In reality, Japanese organizations respond far more strongly to accountability than authority.

Leaders who succeed:

• make ownership explicit
• take responsibility when outcomes are uncertain
• stay visible throughout execution, not just at kickoff

This builds trust faster than consensus meetings ever will.

3. “Slow” Decision-Making Is Often a Misread
From the outside, Japanese organizations are often labeled as slow. From the inside, they are deliberate.

Once key stakeholders are aligned, decisions — and execution — can move very quickly. The challenge for global leaders is identifying where alignment truly matters, rather than assuming it must happen everywhere.

4. Why Many Global Transformations Fail in Japan
Most failures are not cultural. They are operational.

Common mistakes include:

• importing global playbooks without adaptation
• underestimating informal influence networks
• mistaking discussion for commitment
• Japan does not resist change. It resists change that lacks context.

A Final Thought for Global Leaders

Japan is not a market you “push through.” It is a market you earn your way into.

For founders and executives working with Japanese companies — or building global strategies that involve Japan — sustainable success comes from understanding how trust, accountability, and execution truly work on the ground.

That is the difference between short-term movement and long-term transformation.