Today’s lecture flow

▼Professor Sugita – Group Dialogue for Dialogue with Leaders
▼ Norihiko Ishihara, CEO and Professor Tamura – Dialogue with Leaders

Learning of the students – Extracts from the reflection sheets submitted after the lectures

Third-year student in the Department of Law, Faculty of Law

This time, listening to Mr. Ishihara’s dialogue, I was overwhelmed by the high potential he was born with.What I felt set him apart from others was the breadth of his perspective and the scale of his thinking.When I heard the episode Professor Sugita mentioned, about “how Mr. Ishihara had others do what I told him in the seminar and he explored why Professor Sugita had said that to him”. This made me realize the difference in my own perspective.I interpreted that Mr. Ishihara, rather than immediately changing his actions after being told something by a teacher, took a step back in a sense. He observed and analyzed everything from a distance, set more long-term and distant goals, and had a broader view.

Furthermore, even someone like Mr. Ishihara, who is currently involved in a wide range of businesses and has established a solid position as a leader, had experienced working tirelessly and facing hardships in his early career.Mr. Ishihara’s overwhelming broad perspective might not only be attributed to his innate talent and extraordinary efforts but also to his extensive connections and networks, which bring a variety of opportunities to him.I think what I can do now is to immerse myself in the assigned tasks, make efforts continuously, and build a wide network by valuing interpersonal relationships. By doing so, I believe I can gain unwavering confidence and a broader perspective.

Third-year student in the Department of Law, Faculty of Law

My learning from this session is that by accumulating unique experiences different from others, I can approach specific matters from a unique perspective.Mr. Ishihara mentioned in the dialogue that he avoided leading a life following the success experiences of others by accumulating unique experiences, which allowed him to have an unconventional career path from the early stages of his professional life.

Considering the increasing globalization and diversification of challenges in contemporary society, individuals who can view things from a different angle and with a multidimensional perspective are in demand. Pursuing what I want to do and accumulating my own unique experiences from now on will be the most important.

Also, I remember Professor Sugita saying at the end of the class that the timing of realizing what one wants to do is not the issue.What matters is whether one can persevere after realizing it.”This statement gave me courage because I had been questioning whether I was accumulating my own experiences during this class and had felt anxious.However, thanks to Mr. Ishihara’s words, I now feel motivated to put in effort from today to accumulate those experiences, rather than regretting the past.

Third-year student in the Faculty of Commerce

Through this “Dialogue with Leaders,” I had the opportunity to learn about Mr. Ishihara’s philosophy. While I had previously come to realize through other leaders that leadership is the ability to engage people. However, I learned that Mr. Ishihara possesses a keen foresight and a strong spirit of challenge in finding businesses and fields that pique the interest of those around him.Moreover, the ability to determine how to use people, essentially making the right decisions for the right people in the right place, is a fundamental aspect of leadership.This skill requires careful observation of both people and the trends of the times. At first glance, it may seem like one is simply leading, but in reality, it involves possessing active listening skills.

On the other hand, my own willpower is not exceptional, and I tend to give my best within my capabilities. In comparison, Mr. Ishihara’s accomplishments are impressive.I believe that some people achieve their WILL, following their interests and abilities, leading to results like Mr. Ishihara’s. However, I also think that it’s best for each person to achieve their individual goals in their own way.