Tailor to market needs
Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
“Delivering content in Japanese rather than English has proved vital in attracting and retaining local interest in the Academy, particularly for some of the hard-to-discuss topics such as wellbeing, financial literacy, and financial security,” says Tomoka Nemoto, the Tokyo-based, EY executive sponsor of WABN.
“EY Japan believes that women athletes have great skills and knowledge that can be used in business. We believe that the Academy, which is the local iteration of WABN, will help participants to unlock their potential for the benefit of society,” she added.
With the end of 2023 approaching, another cohort of amazing Japanese athletes is entering the Academy, eager to join the ranks of alumni excelling in the sporting and business worlds. Based on our success to date in Japan, I have been invited to support the creation of WABN Academies in other parts of Asia. How can we avoid the pitfalls and translate this success to our new academies?
Build bridges
Committing to a new project, particularly one tailored to the local market, requires everyone to believe in a shared vision. The project’s leader must provide a strong sense of the project’s long-term value while showing empathy for people’s situations and a passion for what can be achieved.
The US-based Center for Creative Leadership, a nonprofit dedicated to research and programs on global leadership, describes a good leader as someone who demonstrates communication, influence and self-awareness, often collectively described as emotional intelligence (*3).
These qualities have been particularly important in Japan where the EY team of volunteer mentors and guest lecturers for the Academy is dispersed across the country, and professional athletes’ have busy schedules.
“We have a strong core team that brings diverse skills and experience to support the vision and growth of WABN,” explains Shanghai-based Candy Lim, former WABN’s global Program Manager and Asia-Pacific lead for knowledge management at EY. “Janelle’s vision for the program and leadership in working across EY to find opportunities for WABN demonstrates our shared values and furthers our relationships with our clients.”
Ensuring WABN’s global aims were met while delivering for local needs also requires bridge-building and cultural interpretation — skills I have honed over decades of bilateral work between the United States and Japan. Of course, while leaders with a global mindset as well as knowledge and understanding of the local setting are ideal, they can and should look to others for support if they lack this dual experience. One secret to great leadership is seeing and enabling the full potential in others.
Execute the vision
Setting up, operating, and delivering a sustainable project requires executing the vision to achieve results. In Japan, it can take time to secure the buy-in from each stakeholder but, once received, implementation is usually flawless.
Since inaugurating the Academy, we have continued to fine tune our programs as we ascertain how best to meet the needs of participants, staff, and society.
We have adapted our content based on learned experience and ongoing feedback, two valuable assets in developing a sustainable program. When we shifted from in-person to online activities due to pandemic-induced restrictions, we recognized the resultant but unexpected boost in inclusivity. We have retained a hybrid in-person and online program to capitalize on our learnings.
Even as the Academy has evolved, remembering and executing the vision has remained paramount.
