#111: Japan, cultural misunderstandings and leadership styles

The International Business Podcast

If you work across time zones, borders, and cultures, this is the show for you. This is Leonardo from Shanghai, and welcome to the international business podcast. Today, we delve into the experiences of foreigners working in Japan, collaborating with Japanese professionals, and vice versa.

Who is your typical executive in Japan? How does leadership change across language and culture? What is the thing most foreigners get wrong about Japan business culture? And more.

To learn more about each guest joining me today, please check below.

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Jason Durkee is President of corporate training firm Idea Development in Tokyo. During his 30 years as a consultant in Asia, he's helped more than 40,000 people communicate, manage and work better across languages and cultures. Jason was born and raised in Seattle, graduated from Sophia University's Faculty of Comparative Culture in Tokyo, worked in Japan and Shanghai, founded Idea Development in 2003, developed the company to be an leader leader and has managed global teams since 2003. Since 2003 Idea Development has specialized in providing learning and development solutions to clients in Japan that achieve meaningful business results. Focusing on innovation, communication, working across cultures and leadership. Over the years, the company has grown consistently and now proudly serves more than 130 clients a year.

Jeff O’Dea has worked in Japan as an educator for over 30 years. During this time, he has collaborated with many global companies in his roles as a coach, trainer, consultant, presenter, and educator.

He is passionate about discussing, drawing, and writing on cross-cultural communication, particularly as it pertains to Japan and Japanese business professionals.Jeff is dedicated to helping Japanese business professionals enhance their communication skills and, more importantly, boost their confidence and mindset to communicate more effectively in English. He has also had the opportunity to work with a range of expatriates in Japan, assisting them in creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for their Japanese partners and colleagues.

Tom Roberts, known as “The Expat Whisperer,” is an expert in global leadership and intercultural complexities. As a senior executive, author, keynote speaker, and certified executive coach, Tom has guided numerous C-Suite and VP leaders in transforming their international experiences into career advantages. With over a decade of international assignments across 11 countries, he understands the unique pressures faced by expat executives. Tom emphasizes the importance of recognizing the cultural influences from one’s home, host, and headquarters environments to ensure success for both the leader and their family. He founded Cranberry Leadership to enhance the success of expat assignments, leveraging data-driven assessments and his extensive experience.

Connect with the host Leonardo Marra.