Episode #218: Building Your Team

In Japan’s fast-changing business environment, teams constantly shift — people move, new members join, and market pressures intensify. Compliance requirements grow stricter, targets rise, and global conditions such as currency fluctuations can turn success into struggle overnight. Maintaining unity under these conditions is a leadership challenge.

Successful business leaders, like legendary coach Vince Lombardi, understood the secret:

“Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity.”

But how do leaders in Japanese and global organizations apply this in the real world?

Mini-summary: Team success depends on active leadership — unity doesn’t happen by chance; it’s built through shared understanding and purpose.

Many managers assume everyone understands the team’s purpose — until they ask. Misalignment is common, especially in teams formed from different departments or corporate backgrounds.
Leaders must ensure every member knows:

• Why the team exists

• What their individual role is

• How their contribution matters to the whole

Regular check-ins are crucial, especially as teams evolve. New members need clarity, not assumptions.

Mini-summary: Constant communication and clarity prevent fragmentation in dynamic, diverse teams.

Shared values act as the glue that binds a team together. Begin by identifying personal values, then build team values that everyone genuinely owns and believes in. Once this foundation is set, establish a team vision — not as a buzzword, but as a clear, present-tense picture of the future you aim to create together.

As Jack Welch once said:

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

In Japan’s corporate environment — for both domestic (日本企業) and multinational (外資系企業) organizations — a shared sense of purpose and vision bridges cultural differences and enhances team performance.

Mini-summary: Shared values connect the team on an emotional level, while a clear vision drives strategic direction and sustained success.

A mission defines what a team does — and what it doesn’t do.
While values and vision remain stable, missions must evolve as markets, goals, and priorities shift. Revisit and restate the mission regularly to maintain focus amid change.

Mini-summary: A flexible mission keeps the team relevant while staying aligned with long-term goals.

• Reaffirm your team’s shared purpose and clarify individual roles regularly.

• Build unity through common values and a clear, inspiring vision.

• Keep missions adaptable — Japan’s business landscape demands agility.

• Leadership clarity is the foundation for lasting performance and engagement.

Founded in the United States in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has helped organizations around the world strengthen leadership, communication, and teamwork.
Since 1963, our Tokyo office has continued to empower both Japanese and international companies through world-class leadership training, sales training, presentation training, and executive coaching — helping leaders build teams that excel in today’s dynamic and competitive business environment.