“The key thing is that the leader needs to be able to identify where those turning points or tipping points are so that they don't become a bottleneck in that process.”
“In most cases, I feel like I only have about 30% of the necessary information to make me comfortable to make that decision.”
“Consensus in a Japanese sense is that a little bit of everyone's idea is taken and included in the final solution so that everyone feels that they've been part of the final solution.”
“If you want to be successful in business in Japan… it’s patience, persistence, and politeness.”
“In Japan you can do anything. It's just that it will end up taking twice as much time and ended up costing you twice as much money.”
Brief Bio
Ross Rowbury was President of Edelman Japan, a leading local business through a decade of rapid growth from roughly 20 people to more than 80, making it one of the largest foreign PR operations in the market. He first arrived in Japan as a Rotary exchange student in high school and later returned after university to build his career across banking and securities, spending around nine years at a major Japanese broker before moving to foreign brokerages. After a short attempt at entrepreneurship, he shifted into the communications industry by leveraging his finance background in financial PR, eventually moving into senior leadership and today running the Japan business of Edelman, one of the world’s largest PR firms.
Ross Rowbury’s leadership story in Japan is shaped by longevity, humility, and a practical acceptance that “certainty” is often a luxury leaders do not get. Having first come to Japan as a teenage exchange student and later returning to start his professional life in finance, he learned early that competence alone does not automatically translate into followership in a Japanese workplace. His first major leadership role arrived in his early thirties, when he was tasked with turning around a loss-making department. The performance goal was simple—make it profitable—but the cultural context was not.
Every team member was at least a decade older, and the age hierarchy that can silently govern influence and legitimacy became a daily force. Resistance was not only about ideas; it was about identity, pride, and perceived loss of face. The experience produced intense stress, yet it also forged an enduring lesson: authority must be earned through results, relationships, and an ability to read the room—what many describe as kuuki.
His move into PR introduced a different leadership terrain. Unlike finance, where outcomes can feel “black and white,” consulting work is creative, negotiated, and relational. Rowbury found it easier to lead by showing value through client work and solutions, particularly as experience and seniority reduced the friction of hierarchy. As Edelman Japan grew, his leadership challenge shifted again—from personal execution to organisational design. He describes the organisation as a living thing whose needs change over time, and he highlights a classic scaling trap: the leader becomes the bottleneck. In early growth, he joined every pitch; later, he stepped back to create space for others. The transition hurt—losing 15 pitches in a row tested resolve—but it ultimately built a stronger, more independent team.
Rowbury’s current phase is defined by complexity: the industry’s digital disruption, the need to hire specialists from different backgrounds, and the cultural integration required when “the same words can mean very different things.” Even simple labels—like “project manager”—carry multiple definitions depending on whether someone comes from PR, advertising, or operations. In that environment, leadership becomes a translation exercise: aligning language, expectations, and pace, while creating a shared operating system that preserves commercial standards. His approach leans on repeated “fierce conversations,” explicit apology when he missteps, and a deliberate embrace of diversity in working styles.
Across generations, he observes that expertise no longer belongs to tenure alone. Digital channels can invert authority, as younger team members may see the modern pathway to attention and amplification more clearly than traditional leaders. That reality raises the bar on transparency and trust. Employees want to understand why decisions are made, and they want to participate—pressures that pull Western-led organisations toward Japanese-style inclusion, closer to nemawashi and ringi-sho thinking, even when speed still matters. Ultimately, Rowbury frames leadership in Japan as patience with ambiguity, persistence without aggression, and politeness that protects relationships—paired with the courage to make decisions with incomplete information and to keep learning, even after decades in the country.
Q&A Summary
What makes leadership in Japan unique?
Rowbury highlights that leadership legitimacy in Japan is often influenced by unspoken social structures—particularly age hierarchy and the atmospherics of kuuki. Early in his leadership journey, being significantly younger than his team triggered resistance that was less about competence and more about perceived status and face.
He also distinguishes Japanese “consensus” from a Western interpretation: rather than persuading everyone to choose option three, Japanese consensus often blends elements of multiple views so people feel represented. That approach resembles nemawashi in practice—broad, pre-aligned input gathering—and can be operationalised through ringi-sho style circulation, but it demands time and careful social calibration.
Why do global executives struggle?
He argues that many executives arrive expecting clarity and control, yet Japan operates in “funny grey” where the boundaries between yes and no can be contextual. Managers used to speed may become frustrated by the slower cadence of alignment and the additional cost of coordination. Rowbury’s rule of thumb is blunt: in Japan, almost anything is possible, but it often takes twice the time and twice the money. The executives who struggle most are those who interpret delay as incompetence, rather than as a different system of risk management, quality, and relational assurance.
Is Japan truly risk-averse?
Rowbury reframes the question as one of uncertainty avoidance. In his view, Japan is not incapable of bold outcomes, but it seeks to reduce ambiguity before acting—often through broader consultation and incremental commitment. He also cautions against simplistic “mistakes are welcome” messaging in a hyper-connected media environment where a small error can cascade into reputational harm. The practical stance becomes bounded experimentation: encourage small, controlled risks that improve process and creativity, while drawing bright lines around compliance, client reputation, and legal exposure.
What leadership style actually works?
His answer combines consistency with adaptability. Leaders should not chase universal approval; they should maintain a coherent decision logic, communicate it repeatedly, and then adjust quickly when reality proves them wrong. He emphasises the importance of not becoming a bottleneck as organisations scale—delegation is both a growth strategy and a trust-building signal. He also recommends linguistic and cultural framing: avoid phrases that trigger fear (“that’s your responsibility”) and choose language that invites ownership (“I’ll leave it up to you”). In practice, the effective style blends Western decisiveness with Japanese inclusion—decision intelligence over impulse, and structured consultation over vague agreement.
How can technology help?
Rowbury points to digital disruption as the central driver of change in communications. Attention is scarce, narratives must land in seconds, and amplification requires integrated planning across social, events, and media. Technology can support leaders by creating clearer information flows as organisations grow—reducing the gap between what the leader needs internally and what the market demands externally. He also describes using AI-enabled engagement surveys to detect patterns and prioritise action. In a more advanced framing, leaders can borrow from decision intelligence concepts—dashboards, scenario planning, and even “digital twin” thinking for organisations—to test operational changes (like remote work and wellness policies) before scaling them.
Does language proficiency matter?
Rowbury suggests that success is less about perfect fluency and more about disciplined communication and cultural translation—understanding how the same words can mean different things across industries and backgrounds. The key is building a shared language inside the organisation, clarifying definitions, and repeating messages through multiple channels until they stick. That repetition is not redundancy; it is trust-building in a skeptical environment. Leaders who listen carefully, consult respectfully, and communicate consistently can bridge gaps even when language skills are not flawless.
What’s the ultimate leadership lesson?
His core lesson is that leadership is continuous learning under conditions of imperfect information. He describes decision-making comfort as rare—leaders may only have 20–30% of what they wish they knew, yet they must still decide. The discipline is to keep moving, remain curious, and recover quickly from missteps. For newcomers to Japan, he distils it into the “three Ps”: patience, persistence, and politeness. In the long run, that mindset—paired with humility about culture, respect for the grey, and a commitment to keep learning—defines sustainable leadership in Japan.
Timecoded Summary
Author Credentials
Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results.
He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban “Hito o Ugokasu” Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー).
In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan’s Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.
