Friday, March 08, 2013

Leadership - by Japan Airline CEO

Quah Kok Hwee said:
I attached an article here about the leadership of Japan Airline CEO. 
And I wonder how many leaders in Singapore, I am referring to MPs,
Ministers, Management of Govt Linked firms, do the same as JAL's 
CEO.

CEO of the People, Haruka Nishimatsu of Japan Airline truly brings leadership to a while new level of meaning.

(1) ...his morning commute on the city bus, Haruka Nishimatsu heads into the office and gets busy at his desk with the rest of his Japan Airlines coworkers.

(2) At lunch, he lines up in the cafeteria...

(3) Not exactly the glamorous life you'd expect from the CEO of one of the world's top ten international airlines. Is it so strange, asks Nishimatsu.

(4) ...when JAL slashed jobs and asked older employees to retire early, Nishimatsu cut every single one of his corporate perks, and then for three years running slashed his own pay. In 2007, he made about $90,000 U.S., less than what his pilots earn.

(5) In Japan, says Nishimatsu, there's less of a pay gap between the top and the bottom. "We in Japan learned during the bubble economy that businesses who pursue money first fail. The business world has lost sight of this basic tenet of business ethics." Nishimatsu says his airline has a long, difficult recovery ahead. As far as his pay, he's dug into his savings like the rest of us.

(6) “If management is distant, up in the clouds, people just wait for orders,” Nishimatsu told CBS News through a translator.

(7) “I want my people to think for themselves.” Nishimatsu says a CEO doesn’t motivate by how many millions he makes, but by convincing employees you’re all together in the same boat.

[SOURCE:]
A) http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-11/living/transcript.wed_1_moral-obligation-unemployment-rate-job-market/3?_s=PM%3ALIVING

http://slumz.boxden.com/f605/mar-29-different-ceo-haruka-nishimatsu-1727190/

C) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8ATOARgLO8 

4 comments:

Weng Mao Fa said...

My former Japanese boss wear the same design/colour of uniform as his factory worker. His company car was not a luxury car. It was an old Toyota car.

The company had cash $200m with DBS. When SG authority seconded a Permanent Secretary of X Ministry to the Japanese company as Deputy CEO, the top civil servant was given a S$100k car in 1988. He would report work at 9am while Japanese and other worker start work at 8.30am.

Which leadership a worker prefer?

Xianlong said...

SMRT CEO did a publicity stunt on 1st day on job with a photo of him in a train(uncrowded).

As he is a paper general, it is most likely that's his 1st time in his life on mrt. Back in his days in SAF, he got staff car & petrol pumped for free by mobile transport sergeant.

Sun would rise from west if Quek emulate JAL CEO style of:
- going to work daily by bus
- lines up at cafeteria (Quek has been trained like big shot in SAF days)
- fix his salary to a multiple of lowest paid SMRT worker (incentive to raise low salaries).

Is just not Quek but other govt leaders which you have pointed out.

David Soh Poh Huat said...

Very good sharing Mr Tan. No wonder in areas of productivity, the Japanes are No 1. They are 'hands-on' people who are always on touch with the ground.
Compare to our leaders or bosses, they are 'hands-on' with a difference. ie before they do any visit or travelling in MRT or buses, their advanced party will ensure that the MRT or buses are 'empty', the area they are visiting are cleaned and tidied etc.
In coinclusion Singapore want to be very different, being Uniquely Singapore, we need Unique Leaders with Unique policies.

yujuan said...

Mr. Quah

Dun have to look to CEO of JAL in Japan.
Since the Japanese MNCs opened factories in Singapore in the 70s, their CEOs or Managing Directors here eat, work and dress the same as the Dept heads and Floor supervisors.
Those days there are no MRTs here, and maybe the only difference is they drive to work due to the hot, humid weather.

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