Kirk here. Sometimes readers of the page kindly share essays and/or pictures with the editors. This essay and the pictures came from Gene Toda (Gene is on the left in the closeup photo). Thanks Gene! He generously shared many more photos with us but I picked out these two as “illustrations” for his essay.

— Essay from Gene —-

A few days ago, I came across an article about the US Marines conducting a joint exercise with JMGDF in Kengun, Kumamoto. The irony of it struck me as amusing. Currently, I am serving in the US Navy, with 18 years under my belt, and residing in MCAS Miramar base housing. However, my roots trace back to Kumamoto, Japan.

Throughout my Navy career, I have been posted in various locations, including Norfolk, VA, Atsugi and Sasebo in Japan, Diego Garcia, Guam, Bangor, WA, and now San Diego, CA. My early life was spent in Ashikita, Kumamoto until high school. Later, I moved to Kumamoto city to attend accounting school. From 1992 to 1998, I served in the JMSDF and was stationed in Sasebo. Shortly thereafter, I married an American who was an English language teacher at the time and moved to the US in 2001. After spending four years in Indiana, I joined the US Navy in 2005.

This week, I attended a week-long course called “Advanced Enlisted Leadership Development”. Today was our final day, and we were tasked with presenting on “My Leadership Philosophy”. During my speech, I shed light on the stark contrast between Eastern and Western cultures. I spoke about the collective culture of the East versus the individualistic culture of the West.

I shared anecdotes of my upbringing and how I was taught the values of teamwork and respect from an early age. In kindergarten, we wore the same uniforms and learned synchronized dancing. Everyone had a role to play - be it cleaning, serving lunch, leading the class or heading teams. We took turns in these roles and everyone was an integral part of the community. We had sports festivals and cultural festivals where everyone had the opportunity to showcase their unique character and skills.

In Japan, leaders are seen as patient, hardworking, and loyal to everyone. However, adjusting to the individualistic culture of America has been challenging for me. In Japan, we have a saying: “The nail that sticks out gets hammered”. But in the US, unique talents are celebrated and individuals are encouraged to hone their abilities. A friend once told me: “You have to be greedy sometimes. If you don’t say what you want, you don’t get anything. The squeaky wheel gets the oil”. Another friend shared a similar sentiment with the quote: “The crying baby gets milk”.

I’ve observed that in America, outspokenness, extroversion, cleverness and alpha-type personalities are often idealized and valued in leaders.

I concluded my speech by stating that my leadership philosophy has been shaped by my experiences in Japan and the Japanese Navy. I believe in emphasizing teamwork, respect, understanding different perspectives, continuous improvement, and mutual learning. By embracing these principles, I am confident that we can create a positive and empowering work environment where individuals can thrive and collectively achieve success.