With all the turmoil in the Global economies and the constant barrage of Deficit Based Thinking News about the excesses of Corporate CEO’s you just have admire the Asset-Based Thinking leadership of Haruka Nishimatsu, CEO of Japan Airlines. His ABT leadership is featured in a wonderful CNN Video Report.

Mr. Nishimatsu put three fundamental ABT principles into practice.

1. Be Authentic by Demand - He thoroughly embodied his message and his values
2. Expose Yourself - He revealed who he is so his authenticity was visible to everyone.
3. Trade Places - He fully inhabited the other person’s point of view

ABT Actions:

Like all troubled airlines JAL had to restructure its operations by trimming costs, cutting jobs and asking older employees to retire early. Difficult and painful decisions for any CEO. In this case, Mr. Nishimatsu made the conscious decision to go beyond just “understanding” what his employees were experiencing to actually “feeling” and “living” what they were going through. So, he dramatically trimmed the costs associated with his own Executive office, eliminated ALL his company perks, and cut his salary to $90,000, less than what JAL pilots earn. Now that’s ABT leadership by example!

Then, when asked why he did it, rather than provide a self congratulatory answer, his response was eloquently simple, profound and revealing.

“The employees that were asked to retire early are the same generation as me. I thought I should share their pain with them”

Wow. Couldn’t every company and business, large or small, benefit and thrive based on this kind of Asset-Based Thinking?

Please take a look at the short CNN Video Report. I know you will be as inspired as I am. Then, pass this blog on to CEO’s and Corporate leaders you know. They will thank you for it.

Hank Wasiak