Episode #58: Hans Heijligers, Head of Japan, IHG Hotels and Resorts

Hans Heijligers shares his global leadership insight having led in over a dozen countries before becoming the Head of Japan for IHG Hotels and Resorts, a British multinational hospitality company. Mr. Heijligers first arrived in Japan in 2014 after having worked in Singapore and has been with IHG for seven years.

When comparing the different countries he has worked in, Mr. Heijligers says all countries are quite different, yet the cultural adaptation and leadership abilities required are quite similar. Although initially Mr. Heijligers learned that Japan has a very unique business culture, in finding common grounds he has been able to add value. As a foreign expat leader, Mr. Heijligers finds this particularly important when making important decisions. Hence, when developing an agenda and setting a strategy that works for the organization and the Japanese employees, he had done so in a collaborative way. Mr. Heijligers has also learned when to take a step back and stay patient. He adds: “If you allow the Japanese teams to have their own conversations, and if you're comfortable enough, [you can] say I don't need to be part of that…And start slowly, but surely build a culture around that.” This kind of patient and collaborative approach has allowed Mr. Heijligers to build trust over time within his team. Mr. Heijligers further notes: “Japan is not so much about what you see…[it] is a lot about what you don't see…So learn to be...uncomfortable sometimes.” In order to foster good relations, Mr. Heijligers says it is essential to have continuous conversations with the head office to communicate what will work best in the unique Japanese business culture.

On engagement and innovation, Mr. Heijligers explains it is important to understand what each individual “cares” about and base their mission and values on it. He says for IHG, “one of the things that you should care for is that you're here to make lives better for people.” These people include the employees themselves as well as the customers, owners and other stakeholders. Mr. Heijligers also emphasizes how rich IHG’s people culture is, and the organization provides a wealth of learning and development opportunities. He claims: “we put our arms around our people through coaching sessions mentoring…we help really for diversity equity and inclusion to become [an] integral part of everything that we do.” Furthermore, IHG supports those that want to gain a global experience to work in hotels abroad. Since IHG hotels are scattered throughout Japan, Mr. Heijligers ensures the leadership team works with the general managers to come up with innovative ideas on what works best at the local hotel level. He also credits technology to have automated many of the administrative tasks so the staff can focus more on customer relationships. The IHG hotels app has also improved the employee and customer experience. Since the COVID pandemic, Mr. Heijligers aspires to focus ever more on building rich relationships with the IHG stakeholders to enable the organization to grow.

On his advice to new foreign leaders working in Japan, Mr. Heijligers advises to read up on the Japanese culture and understand a little about the historical background. Secondly, he urges people to listen, ask questions, and allow people to have their own conversations and show an interest, instead of just telling people what the agenda is and what they need to do. Thirdly, Mr. Heijligers recommends leaders to be open and vulnerable. He says: “Don't be afraid of sharing what you want to achieve. Be vulnerable as a leader…what we all have learned over the years in leadership is that when it goes wrong, it's your fault. When it goes, well, you got nothing to do with it. And just accept that.”