Building great leaders is not a passive practice

Transformation rarely happens without challenge. In the Japanese art of shou sugi ban, heat is applied to wood until the surface of the wood is charred. The charred layer becomes a natural sealant while also making the wood resistant to fire, insects and rot.  When leaders are asked “how they became leaders,” they often point to assignments that required them to manage a crisis, navigate a complex environment, lead a team through a significant organizational change, or a rapidly changing business environment such our current tariff situation, as the experiences that formed them and taught them the most about what it means to be a leader. One of my best formative experiences was managing a large, global team on a high visibility project early in my career. I learned early on the value of collaboration and a “know the outcome before the vote happens” way of working as my team and I worked side-by-side under a tight deadline to exceed our client’s expectations. Other examples of experiences that learning and development can create to “bring the heat” include:  

·         Projects requiring leaders to manage cross-functional teams for the first time, mirroring the heat's impact by exposing them to competing priorities and diverse perspectives.

·         Experiential projects in unfamiliar markets, such as creating an expat experience, develop strategic agility, similar to how shou sugi ban creates a resilient exterior in harsh climates.

It is the “heat” of stretch assignments and the intensity of a high-risk or high-exposure experience that catalyze the leadership change.

Another lesson comes from the concept of yohaku no bi—the power of empty space. In art, this space allows the subject to breathe and stand out. In leadership development, reflection serves a similar purpose.  Getting the most learning from a training event or through experiences requires reflection. Making time to pause, create mental space and reflect using a consistent set of questions, keeps the skills being developed top-of-mind.  Encouraging leaders to keep a reflective journal, using prompts such as 'What surprised me today?' or 'What could I have done differently?'" and implementing regular 'after-action reviews' following key projects or initiatives, that focus on what was learned and how the process could be improved create a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Reflections are also a great way to spend a 1:1. Rather than the typical run down of “what work got done,” focusing on “what did you learn” is a much more valuable conversation.

Finally, the Japanese art of kintsugi—repairing broken pottery with gold—teaches us that setbacks aren’t just inevitable; they’re opportunities to grow stronger. By fostering psychological safety through vulnerability (e.g., leaders openly sharing our own failures), we create cultures where teams feel empowered to take smart risks and learn from mistakes without fear of blame, thus strengthening leadership skills. Productive failures—those from experimentation or boundary-pushing—should be celebrated, as they drive innovation. (Think about the penguin awards from Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture.) Guardrails such as strong coaching, structured check-ins, and clear expectations ensure “failures” become gold-filled lessons. Like kintsugi’s repaired cracks, these experiences make leaders more resilient, adaptable, and uniquely prepared for future challenges.