Episode #330: Harry Hill- From Zero to $700 Million
THE Leadership Japan Series
Today we have an interview with Harry Hill the ex-CEO of Shop Japan. He went from being an English teacher in Gifu, to the founder of firms that grew into a $700 million business. He has his own leadership mantra, using the acronym VICES.
V - Vision
I - Integrity
C - Competency
E - Efficiency
S - Sustained Success
He also mentioned that although VICES can sound a bit negative, as an acronym, but it also reminds him that power can be a vice, pride can be a vice, inflated self-importance can be a vice and that you are always just a step away from crashing failure and oblivion in business.
When I asked Harry for three pieces of advice for new leaders in Japan he nominated these points:
1. Trust and Check
2. Listen rather than want to be heard
3. Identify who are the biggest obstacles and immediately and publically remove them