“Do You Incorporate My Philosophy into Your Coaching?” — Remembering Kazuo Inamori

The first time I met Kazuo Inamori, the founder and leader of Seiwajyuku, and had the opportunity to speak with him personally was in 2011, when the Chicago chapter of Seiwajyuku was established in the United States.

At the time, I was responsible for organizing English-language study sessions for Seiwajyuku New York. During the opening ceremony of the Chicago chapter, those of us involved in organizing these study sessions were given the extraordinary opportunity to have lunch with Mr. Inamori.

Nine organizers from five chapters—Hawaii, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, New York, and Brazil—were invited.

Mr. Inamori was staying in a hotel suite with a connecting room. The nine of us gathered there, bringing rice cookers to prepare rice and make onigiri (Japanese rice balls). We ordered side dishes from a restaurant owned by a Chicago chapter member and enjoyed lunch together.

I later learned that this was something of a tradition. Whenever Mr. Inamori visited a regional Seiwajyuku chapter, local members would prepare rice in his hotel room, make onigiri, and share a relaxed, informal lunch with him.

We followed that same tradition in Chicago.

Although I was only in my second year as a Seiwajyuku member and still had so much to learn, I found myself sitting around a table with Mr. Inamori and just eight other people.

I remember being so nervous that I could barely speak.

But to hide my nervousness, I made sure to keep myself busy eating the onigiri!

“Do You Use My Philosophy in Your Coaching?”

Eventually, we were asked to introduce ourselves one by one.

When my turn came, I was still feeling quite nervous.

I introduced myself by saying:

“I am based in New York, and I provide coaching to Japanese expatriates and business executives throughout the United States.”

Mr. Inamori immediately asked:

“Coaching? Do you use my philosophy in your coaching?”

I had fully expected him to ask, “What is coaching?”

Instead, I was delighted to discover that he was already familiar with it.

But at the same time, I realized that he had just asked me something profoundly important.

It was almost as if he were asking:

“If you don’t use my philosophy in your coaching, then what exactly is the foundation of your coaching?”

Without hesitation, I replied:

“Yes, of course. Without your philosophy, I wouldn’t really be able to coach at all.”

What surprised me was that this was not an answer I had consciously thought through beforehand.

It emerged spontaneously, almost as though it had come directly from my subconscious.

I was astonished by my own response.

And at that moment, I thought, “He got me!”

Why?

Because what had just happened was the very essence of a coaching conversation.

Through a single question, Mr. Inamori had helped me discover something about myself that I had never consciously recognized.

I suddenly saw, clearly and unmistakably, the principles that had been forming the foundation of my coaching all along.

The foundation of my executive coaching was the management philosophy I had been studying at Seiwajyuku.

Of course, my MBA education, the many books I had read, and my professional experiences had all contributed to shaping my approach.

But I realized that at the very center of it all were the lessons I had learned through Seiwajyuku.

It was a powerful moment of self-discovery.

Our Second Conversation: An Unexpected Response

The second time I met Mr. Inamori was at a Seiwajyuku gathering in Los Angeles in 2012.

Another member kindly gave up their seat, allowing me to sit next to him for about five minutes.

During that brief conversation, I told him that my training and coaching business was not doing particularly well.

His response was:

“I think doing business with Japanese expatriates must be very difficult.”

I replied:

“But I think it would be such a missed opportunity if Japanese professionals came to the United States and never took advantage of training or coaching.

“Living and working overseas should be an opportunity to gain new experiences, receive coaching, and develop one’s potential.”

To my surprise, Mr. Inamori simply responded:

“Well, yes… but Japanese companies don’t see it that way.”

And he said nothing further on the subject.

I had been hoping for words of encouragement—something like, “Keep trying. Don’t give up.”

Instead, his response left me feeling rather deflated.

And to make matters worse, I had actually argued with Kazuo Inamori!

Nevertheless, I decided to keep going.

It was only much later that I began to understand what he may have been trying to tell me.

Perhaps he was pointing to one of the most fundamental principles of business:

You must carefully assess the stage of development of your market. Otherwise, even your greatest efforts may produce little return.

At the time, I did not fully appreciate the wisdom behind his words.

Eleven Years Later, I Am Still Here

Eleven years have passed since those conversations.

And I am still working in coaching and training.

In fact, I have expanded my business to include delivering compliance training through e-learning programs for Japanese companies operating overseas.

I still have not achieved all the results I had hoped for.

And I am still running the same small business that, perhaps, I should have reconsidered after hearing Mr. Inamori’s advice.

But I have continued for a reason.

I sincerely believe that supporting Japanese companies operating overseas through coaching and training can ultimately contribute to the Japanese economy.

That belief has become my own sense of purpose in business.

And I have made a firm commitment to it.

I believe that coaching and training are the ways I can make that contribution.

Today, I have also begun building relationships with training companies in Japan, and we are even discussing the possibility of developing a global brand together.

The journey continues.

Staying True to the Philosophy That Guides My Coaching

Even now, I continue to carry Mr. Inamori’s question with me:

“Do you use my philosophy in your coaching?”

I want to continue developing myself and my work so that I can always answer that question with confidence:

“Yes. Without your philosophy, my coaching would not be what it is.”

And through my coaching, I sincerely hope to help as many people as possible understand one of the most fundamental principles of business management:

“Do what is right as a human being.”

I hope that, by embracing this principle, more people will be able to realize their full potential, demonstrate their abilities with confidence, and show the world the exceptional quality of Japanese business.

That is the purpose I continue to pursue—and the philosophy I hope to carry forward.