Written by: Karin Wellbrock, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
This interview series spotlights exceptional executives in Japan, starting with Satoshi Mizusawa. As a distinctive force in dynamic organizational leadership, he has pioneered a novel approach to transformative leadership. Joining Stryker Japan as the head of human resources in 2014, he was faced with the challenge of driving organizational and cultural change. Now, in his role as President and Representative Director, Satoshi’s remarkable ascent from HR to leading Stryker’s entire Japan business offers invaluable insights for leaders across the board. By delving into his leadership ethos, we explore how he has achieved record growth and instilled an innovative culture within the global MedTech sphere. Dive in to discover the strategies, principles, and unyielding determination Satoshi employs to elevate Stryker to unparalleled heights in Japan.
When Satoshi Mizusawa joined Stryker in Japan ¹ in 2014 as the head of human resources, the company was seeking a leader to implement dynamic organizational and cultural transformation. As someone who does not back down from a challenge, Satoshi started his Stryker career with that goal in mind.
Satoshi ² is currently President and Representative Director of Stryker in Japan, where he has led the business to record growth, elevated its position as an innovative MedTech company, and achieved record employee engagement scores. Through a recent interview, I was able to learn more about Satoshi's leadership journey, business strategy, and commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. Let's discover how his approach can be applied across all levels of leadership.
1. Leadership across functions
“How does one go from HR to commercial leader?” That's the first question Satoshi usually gets when he describes his career path. In his view, successful leaders inspire others, nurture talent, and cultivate trust and credibility. In addition to consistently delivering exceptional results, leaders must also be passionate about their work. The leadership qualities he learned in HR helped him transition smoothly into commercial roles. When leading the business, he was confident he could apply the same traits.
Satoshi set out a vision and objectives as newly appointed commercial leader in 2017 with a focus on business priorities and building a high-performance team, and he committed himself even more to these goals as president in 2021. Despite having quite, a different set of responsibilities, he quickly adjusted to his new role and became a leader.
2. Continuous learning: A personal commitment
As he transitioned from HR to commercial, he admits that learning about customers and the business was his biggest challenge. By implementing a long-held belief – leaders must be continually learning – he faced it head-on. Due to constant changes in the environment, Satoshi believes that leaders without a learning spirit will be left behind in the fast-paced medical technology industry. Due to this, he dedicated himself to acquiring business knowledge as quickly as possible when he assumed the role of commercial leader, then president.
Continuous learning was not a result of external influences, but rather of Satoshi's natural winning spirit and ambition as a leader. While serving as soccer team captain in middle school, he had the opportunity to reflect on how he could be a more effective leader. As a result, he began seeking information and input continuously. Despite being clear about what he seeks, Satoshi is aware that to inspire and unite others, he must continually adjust his methods.
3. Uniting organizations and individuals
When Satoshi joined Stryker in 2014, bringing in new talent was a challenge. He was also having difficulties collaborating effectively with regional and global partners since Stryker operates in more than 75 countries.
Satoshi, however, overcame these challenges by developing a compelling vision and clearly defined objectives, and sharing them repeatedly so everyone was on the same page.
He talks about growing up as the middle child of three brothers and constantly competing with them. It was during this time that he developed a sense of competitiveness, cooperation, and a willingness to stand out. Their brotherly rivalry and disagreements did not prevent the three from working together. These formative years taught him leadership skills and how to motivate others.
4. Building trust and understanding in Japanese culture
Trust is crucial for Satoshi to navigate Japan's cultural landscape successfully. Throughout his career in commercial roles, Satoshi has dedicated time to listening, understanding, and showing gratitude for current practices before suggesting any modifications. Trust, which facilitates strong relationships across regions and team members, is a key component of his accomplishments.
He emphasizes this especially to business leaders new to Japan. Even though they want to make an impact quickly, he recommends patience. He offers a three-step approach that begins with learning the context of current practices. Second, express respect and gratitude to everyone involved in these practices, since the outgoing leader, not the team, usually sets them. Third, listen to the team and establish trust before initiating well-informed changes together. To cultivate trust for lasting change, it is important to acknowledge and understand current practices.
5. Direct communication: A cornerstone of leadership
According to Satoshi, valuing people does not mean neglecting strategy. According to him, strategic thinking and effective communication go hand in hand. A unique aspect of Satoshi's leadership style is that he emphasizes direct communication even within the Japanese culture, which relies heavily on indirect communication. He prioritizes direct communications with customers, sales representatives, and industry colleagues to gain real-time insight.
Moreover, he has regular one-on-one conversations with Stryker colleagues across Stryker's global and regional divisions, sharing his goals and strategies with stakeholders and receiving their feedback. He gets a better understanding of his team's obstacles and needs through these interactions.
Listening and sharing are not the only aspects of direct communication. He also emphasizes feedback, particularly among his leadership team. Although the Japanese culture tends to shy away from open feedback, he believes that it is one of the most effective ways to create a winning team. Aside from candid feedback from his team, he appreciates guidance and insight from mentors within his organization.
In addition to sending a monthly newsletter to all Japan employees, regional colleagues, and global leaders, he also promotes cross-divisional, cross-regional, and global communication to ensure Japan's goals are achieved. Satoshi's unique strength lies in blending Western business norms with intrinsic Japanese culture. As a result of his strengths, he bridges Japan, APAC, and the US, where Stryker is headquartered, to drive business growth and dispel the mystery that counterparts outside of Japan may hold about the country. ⁴
6. Nurturing and elevating talent for the future
Identifying and grooming tomorrow's leaders is Satoshi's passion. By providing and listening to feedback, he encourages colleagues to learn and grow. Also, he participates in multi-year leadership training programs with promising individuals at various stages of their careers. Talent development at Stryker combines strategic planning with spontaneous opportunities to meet the rapidly changing needs of the company.
As for the next generation of talent, Satoshi recognizes Stryker's progress in gender inclusion, particularly regarding female representation in sales. The opportunities at Stryker are not gender-restricted, and anyone with talent can take advantage of them. He affirms that Stryker is already geared toward attracting diverse talent and welcoming female leaders, whether they are hired internally or externally. Diversity and inclusion are the cornerstones of his team's approach, which will pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future.
To conclude, Satoshi wants Stryker in Japan to pursue its mission to improve healthcare by contributing to the company's growth. He seeks to establish the company as a brand that is highly trusted by customers and a great talent destination.
In Satoshi Mizusawa's leadership journey, we learn valuable lessons about vision, trust, and inclusivity. From his passion for leading and inspiring others to his ability to blend Western and Japanese cultures, Satoshi's leadership style inspires leaders across industries and cultures. Individual growth and organizational success can be fostered by creating a positive, inclusive workplace that fosters trust, embraces diversity, and nurtures talent. By looking at Satoshi's journey, we can see how Japanese organizations can successfully undergo culture change.
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Karin Wellbrock, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
In addition to being a co-founder of Kay Group K.K in Japan, Karin Wellbrock is an executive coach and leadership consultant with over 30 years of global experience. A passionate advocate of human-centered, inclusive leadership, she creates exceptional results. To bring innovation to the workplace, she is conducting research in Japan and Europe to increase female representation in leadership roles. Her program "Leader-by-Design" demonstrates this. Dedicated to systemic change, Karin is a member of an all-women-led angel investment club in Asia Pacific, and mentors startup and NGO leaders and game changers in Asia and Europe. It is her mission to elevate 100 women to the C-suite.
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