Episode 372: From Ritz-Carlton to Pasona: What Leaders Can Learn About Mood Making

Let’s explore something every leader should be crystal clear about—the mood of the team. When you are sitting on the executive floor, the carpet may be thick, the décor polished, and the atmosphere hushed. But that comfort can also be dangerous, because the further you sit from the frontline, the harder it is to influence the daily energy of your people. Yes, your direct reports should be mood makers in their own right, but there is something magnetic when the boss personally carries that role.
I once visited President Yasuyuki Nambu of Pasona, one of Japan’s most innovative staffing companies. To reach his office, I had to walk through a giant open-plan workspace, right past the desks of the senior executives, and then on through the cafeteria before reaching him. When I asked why, he explained he wanted visibility. He wanted his executives out in the open, not hiding behind closed doors. He wanted employees to see him moving in and out of the office. In a large company, it’s all too easy for leaders to become isolated. He deliberately designed his office layout to prevent that disconnect.
And that’s the point. Leaders cannot be mood makers if they are invisible. Even if you are physically separated from your people, you must still create visibility. Management thinker Tom Peters, in In Search of Excellence, talked about MBWA—Management by Wandering Around. It’s a deceptively simple idea: get out of your office, walk around, talk to the troops, see their workspaces, and sense the mood. Influence is a contact sport.
In Japan, we also have chorei—the daily morning huddle. Think of it as a ritual to align minds and energy. Ritz-Carlton perfected this concept globally. I studied their system in Washington, D.C., and saw firsthand how they synchronise service quality across continents. Every single shift, in every hotel, the team reviews their service code. Not weekly, not monthly—every single day. That ritual becomes the mood maker.
Here’s what struck me: when I joined one of their executive morning meetings, the CEO was present. Yet the ritual was being led by one of the lower-ranked staff. Leadership wasn’t about hierarchy; it was about everyone reinforcing the culture. The CEO’s visibility in those daily rituals showed absolute commitment.
I later brought the same idea to Shinsei Retail Bank when I was running part of the operation. We built our own set of core customer principles and reviewed them in every branch, every morning, led by leaders at every level. It wasn’t optional. It wasn’t “if we have time.” It was part of the rhythm of the organisation.
Today at Dale Carnegie Training Japan, we live by 30 human relations principles and 30 stress management principles. Every day, as long as at least two people are in the office, we hold a morning “Daily Dale.” It rotates among different leaders, but I always participate. Our office is open-plan, so I can read the team’s energy all day long. And during those morning sessions, my role is to project energy, passion, and commitment, even if I happen to feel tired or distracted. My job is to infect the team with enthusiasm. I don’t pontificate every single morning, because too much drains the impact, but I make sure it’s regular enough to set the tone.
This is where leadership becomes less about strategy documents and more about daily chemistry. The team doesn’t just need information—they need mood, spirit, and conviction. That’s why the leader must always be the mood maker.
Now, you might ask, isn’t that exhausting? What if the leader isn’t in the mood? Well, that’s the job. Leaders must rise above personal feelings and bring sunshine to the room, every day. People don’t follow systems or mission statements; they follow energy. They follow the “why.” If the cause isn’t clear, then it’s our role as leaders to turn the work into a cause.
The mood of the organisation isn’t a side effect—it is the culture in motion. Leaders who withdraw into plush offices risk losing touch with that current. Leaders who step forward, who stay visible, and who keep projecting passion—even on tough days—are the ones who inspire.
So let’s be clear: leadership is mood-making. If you want to see higher engagement, stronger loyalty, and sharper performance, then get with the troops. Show them energy, passion, and conviction. Infect them with belief in the cause. Because if you don’t, no one else will.
✅ Key Takeaway: The leader is always the mood maker. Your visibility, your energy, and your daily commitment set the emotional temperature of the organisation.