How to Develop Leadership

Kenji Yokoyama
Professor and Dean for External Relations, NUCB Business School

Leadership development is often discussed in terms of competencies. It is commonly said that effective leaders possess five essential abilities, such as strategic thinking, decision-making, communication, execution, and the capacity to inspire others. However, these abilities should not be understood as starting points. Rather, they are outcomes. True leadership abilities emerge as the result of cultivating deeper human capacities. To develop these leadership competencies, three foundational skills must be strengthened: knowledge, wisdom, and emotion.

The first essential skill is knowledge. Knowledge forms what may be called the “society inside the mind.” Every fact, concept, and experience we learn becomes a member of this internal society. When knowledge is rich and well organized, these internal elements interact dynamically, enabling deeper understanding and creative thinking. Learning is not merely the accumulation of information; it is the enrichment of this internal society. Leaders should cultivate knowledge through continuous study, curiosity, and reflection. Reading widely, engaging with diverse perspectives, and actively seeking understanding expand the internal structure of the mind. The richer this internal society becomes, the more capable a leader is of perceiving patterns, understanding complexity, and generating ideas.

The second essential skill is wisdom. Wisdom differs from knowledge. While knowledge consists of accumulated information, wisdom is the practical ability to connect knowledge and apply it to solve real problems. Wisdom is acquired through experience. As the proverb suggests, experience is the best teacher. Leaders develop wisdom by facing challenges, making decisions, and learning from both success and failure. Experience enables individuals to see relationships between seemingly unrelated elements and to construct effective solutions. The more systematic and rich one’s knowledge, the more complex and powerful the network that wisdom can build. Therefore, leaders should actively seek challenging situations, reflect on their experiences, and learn continuously from practice.

The third essential skill is emotion. Leadership is fundamentally about people. Emotion refers to the ability to recognize one’s own feelings, express them appropriately, and understand the feelings of others. Emotional development enables empathy—the ability to see situations from another person’s perspective. This is essential for building trust, motivating others, and creating shared purpose. Emotion can be cultivated through meaningful human interaction. Sharing experiences with others, listening deeply, engaging with literature and the arts, and participating in case discussions or role-playing exercises all enhance emotional sensitivity. These activities deepen one’s ability to understand human complexity.

In conclusion, leadership competencies are not acquired directly. They emerge naturally when knowledge enriches the mind, wisdom connects knowledge through experience, and emotion connects the leader to others. By deliberately cultivating knowledge, wisdom, and emotion, individuals create the foundation from which true leadership can grow.

Profile

Kenji Yokoyama
Professor and Dean for External Relations, NUCB Business School
Before joining NUCB Business School in 2021, Dr. Kenji Yokoyama held several managerial positions at Ritsumeikan APU, including Dean of the School of Management, Vice-President of APU, and a Trustee of the Ritsumeikan Trust. He was also the President of AAPBS from 2019 to 2020, and held the position of Vice-Chair of the Business School Committee of the Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA). Dr. Yokoyama was recognized for his research contributions, receiving the International Trade Promotion Award in 1992 and 1998, and the International Trade Association Award in 2002.