Thought Leadership

How Do You Structure a 40-Minute Business Presentation That Actually Keeps Attention?

A 40-minute business talk sounds spacious—until you start designing it. Suddenly, every slide, statistic, case...

How Should Business Leaders Handle Data, Opinions, and Tough Q&A in Presentations?

Most presentations in 日本企業 and 外資系企業 fall into the same trap: too much information, not enough meaning. Speake...

Episode #15: Dale Carnegie's Three Iron Rules Of Public Speaking

Why do so many business presentations feel like a waste of time? Executives and teams sit through far too many...

How Can You Overcome Nerves and Keep Your Audience Engaged During High-Stakes Presentations?

Nervousness triggers adrenaline. Suddenly: The room feels hot Your throat dries out Your hands sweat Y...

Episode #16: Don't Tell Me, Show Me

Why do smart professionals still deliver weak presentations in Japan? In Japan, people often grant immediate r...

How Does Speaking Too Fast Destroy Your Message—and How Can Pauses Transform Your Delivery?

Nervousness is the classic culprit.Adrenaline accelerates our heartbeat, breath, and speech, pushing us onto a...

How Can Business Leaders Build a Powerful Library of Stories for Presentations?

Great raconteurs captivate audiences because they are full of stories—personal experiences, vignettes, turning...

How Do Slide Visuals Strengthen—or Destroy—Your Presentation Impact in Japan?

After 38 years in Japan and hundreds of business presentations witnessed, one pattern stands out clearly: Japa...

How Can Companies in Japan Develop More English-Speaking Presenters—Despite Declining Study Abroad and Cultural Barriers?

For decades, the Japanese Government has invested heavily in English education. Yet results remain limited. Ja...

Why Are Hybrid Presentations So Difficult—And How Can Executives Prevent Brand-Damaging Failures?

Presenting online is hard. Presenting in person is hard.Hybrid presenting combines the worst challenges of bot...

How Should Executives Handle Presentation Disasters—Tech Failures, Ambush Speaking, and Personal Mishaps?

Absolutely. A recent LinkedIn post by an American professional described spilling coffee on her blouse just mi...

How Should You Adapt Your Presentation for Japanese vs. Western Audiences?

When I exchange business cards in Japan, I switch between two versions: A Western card with five core offeri...

Why Do So Many Presenters Fail to Be Heard Clearly—Even When Using a Microphone?

At a recent luncheon event, three experts sat on a panel—two could be heard perfectly, and one could not. Alth...

How Should Foreign Presenters Adapt Their English Presentations for Japanese Audiences?

Many foreign presenters assume that because a talk is delivered in English, they can ignore Japanese communica...

Why Does One-on-One Presentation Coaching Transform Executive Performance?

In many 日本企業 and 外資系企業 across 東京, leaders only deliver a presentation once—and they rehearse it on the live au...

How Can Presenters Hold Attention in a TikTok World?

TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and other micro-content platforms have rewired attention spans. Twitter accelerated the...

How Should Leaders Interpret Mixed Presentation Feedback—And How Much Dramatic Energy Is “Too Much”?

After giving a motivational speech to a mixed group of Japanese and foreign managers, the feedback was contrad...

How Do Leaders Balance Content and Delivery—And Avoid Becoming “All Style” or “All Substance”?

“Greg is all style and no substance.”A former colleague said this publicly while I was presenting—an act of eg...

How Can Executives Build a Powerful Personal Brand Through Presentations—Without Misjudging Their Audience?

The best personal branding does not come from theatrics, self-promotion, or showing off status. It comes from ...

Episode #17: Stage Fright Got you?

Why does stage fright hit capable professionals so hard? Stage fright is not a personality flaw. It’s a predic...