Sight to Insight

I have lived in Malaysia for most of my life. I spent six years in France for my doctorate studies. I am now living in Singapore, and travel around the region. The contrast of Japan against other countries is its people's focus on quality, be it food or manufacturing. The civic mindedness of Japanese in keeping the environment clean is difficult to comprehend. This is so evident when we visited Takato and Matsumoto where the cherry blossom was in full bloom. There were no garbage bin to avoid any time bombs being deposited in them. Yet, there was no rubbish on the ground. There were so many visitors yet no garbage! This is Japan! Enjoy some of the magnificient photos that I put together. More to come, when I get them from my friends. You can go to my link on Shiga Kogen and Odahiko website for more information on the skiing and the cottage.

This was the exact word of an ex-colleague who is 63 years old (see picture), owning a beautiful cottage on a mountain resort (see picture), just about two hours by train from Shinjuku station. Why do I want to write about it? The simple answer is that corporate ladder climbers have forgotten that there is life outside of work! He is the prime example of this story by demonstrating that he is just too busy to think about working for a living. He is working for his life! He is working for his entertainment! He is working to bring joy to many people. A few of us who are still working for the corporation visited and stayed for two nights at the cottage. The atmosphere was so serene that the stress of work disappeared, as I looked up the blue sky littered with sparkling stars in the night. The cold spring of just about 4 degree celcius added to that peacefulness. A barbecue dinner along with beer, wine and jovial conversation truly brought out what friendship can be developed even in the c...

This topic has been written by so many authors. So what is different from what I am writing? The simple answer is that I am part of that web of debate and I have and am still experiencing the emotion of it all. Your interest in reading is because you are living personally in the system in which you draw your paycheck. Depending on your age, which correlates to your emotional reaction to leadership and management; you are likely to react differently. I am in my fifties, and for a good part of my life worked in a transnational company with business in most part of the globe. I am proud to be part of that experience and glad about the learning derived from it. Simply put, leadership is steering the ship in the direction that will ensure the safety of its passengers. Management is ensuring that the engine room, kitchen, laundrette, "shipscaping" and the daily chores are efficiently carried out. Does a ship need both qualities? You bet, they need them! Will you see both of them li...