Leadership That Honors Your Authentic Strengths
If you’ve been following my work, you know I’m deeply involved in AI, Digital Transformation, and strategic innovation for organizations. But one reality has always stood out to me, no matter how cutting-edge or disruptive the technology is: an organization won’t truly change unless its people do.
I’ve seen companies push high-tech solutions, implement complex digital transformations, and set ambitious growth targets—yet the team’s energy and motivation remain stagnant. Why does that happen? Because people don’t move from the outside in. No matter how many rules or rewards you impose, the transformation stays surface-level if team members are stuck in a “just doing what I have to do” mindset.
That’s precisely the dilemma that led me to co-author “(チームが自然に生まれ変わる) -- When Teams Naturally Transform: Leadership” with Youngjun Lee... Sorry, it is written only in Japanese right now. In our own experiences—mine as an entrepreneur, AI strategist, and Lee’s as an organizational consultant—we repeatedly hit the same wall: the biggest driver of real change is the intrinsic “I want to do this!” spark inside each person. This book is about how leaders can help themselves and their teams rediscover that spark, fueling a “natural transformation” rather than forcing compliance through external pressure.
The Crucial Concept: “Want to” and Self-Efficacy
Many organizations rely on top-down orders, deadlines, or “carrot-and-stick” tactics. But these methods are losing their bite in a world where remote work, diverse values, and rapid market changes are the norm. I’ve watched leaders throw money, titles, or punishments at performance problems, only to see halfhearted results. Motivation vanishes once the external push is gone or the employee finds a better opportunity.
So what’s the alternative? In When Teams Naturally Transform, we highlight two crucial ideas drawn from cognitive science:
Want to – A personal desire or aspiration that lights someone up.
Self-Efficacy – That somewhat magical sense of “I can do this, even if I don’t have perfect evidence.”
When individuals tap into a goal they genuinely care about—and pair it with the unshakable confidence “I’m capable of realizing it”—no outside force is necessary. They begin to move with astonishing energy and creativity. It’s not “motivation” handed down from above; it grows from within. That’s why we call it a “natural transformation.” The leader’s job is to facilitate, not dictate.
First, the Leader Must Let Go of “Have to”
Our work's recurring theme is that leaders often cling to a massive list of “Have to” obligations—tasks or roles they’ve assumed out of habit, duty, or fear of letting someone down. I’ve been there: you look at your calendar and see it’s packed with busy work, meetings you never wanted, and responsibilities that drain your energy. Meanwhile, the real “Want to” projects or explorations that excite you get buried or postponed indefinitely.
In the book, we propose a radical move: consciously discard as many “Have to” items as possible—by delegating, automating, or outright eliminating them—so you create mental and emotional space for your own “Want to.” This is how you, as a leader, rediscover that original sense of curiosity, that once-burning passion that led you into your role. Once your team sees you operating from genuine enthusiasm (instead of forcing yourself through obligations), they notice something vital: “It’s okay to chase what excites me in this organization.”
Aligning Individual “Want to” with Organizational Purpose
Of course, you can’t let everyone run in random directions. An overarching organizational Purpose—the more profound reason your company exists—serves as a guiding star. But you won't ignite real engagement if that purpose is only expressed as a bland profit target or a slogan nobody believes in. Our perspective is that a purpose should resonate with a future vision that matters to each person’s unique “Want to.” If you have an employee-driven by the desire to “create things of beauty,” and your company’s purpose is “enabling human creativity to flourish through technology,” that alignment can empower them on a whole new level.
Throughout the book, we discuss practical frameworks for clarifying the Purpose and having honest conversations (like 1-on-1 sessions) with team members to discover how their drives intersect with it. This is not about commanding them to align; it’s about creating space for each person to see how their sense of “want to” can contribute to—and be amplified by—the organization’s bigger vision.
Feedforward vs. Feedback
In my experience, one of the most effective ways to spark a team member’s intrinsic drive is through “feedforward”—questions rooted in future possibilities. Too often, leaders focus on “feedback,” dissecting past mistakes in a way that leaves people feeling discouraged. I’ve seen the typical “So why did you fail?” conversation kill a person’s sense of self-efficacy overnight. By contrast, feedforward is about asking:
“If you had zero constraints, what would you want to create or accomplish three years from now?”
“In that ideal scenario, how do you imagine your role or daily work?”
The point is to help people paint a vivid mental picture of what they’d love to do. Once that vision is clear, the next question becomes: “What’s one small step you can take today toward that goal?” If they feel an innate sense of “Yes, I can do this,” the resulting forward momentum is remarkable.
Without Inner Change, Tech or Management Tricks Don’t Stick
From my vantage point in AI and digital strategy, I’ve heard countless leaders lament, “We spent so much on a new system, but the team just isn’t embracing it.” The issue is rarely the system—it’s the internal models people hold about themselves, their job, and their capacity. If they feel they’re just cogs fulfilling “Have to” tasks, innovation stalls. Once they tap into “I want to do this, and I absolutely can,” the dynamic changes—colleagues support each other, new ideas pop up daily, and external pressure becomes unnecessary.
Hence, this book is a framework and a mindset that illustrates step by step how leaders can transform “because we must” into “because we want to.” Everything I’ve learned in my entrepreneurial journey points me to one conclusion: the most extraordinary breakthroughs come from the inside. People who genuinely believe in a vision—no matter how audacious—find ways to make it real. I hope that you, as a reader, will discover practical ways to start that same journey in your workplace.
Final Thoughts
Yes, “teams transforming themselves” may initially sound idealistic, but I’m convinced it’s the most logical and enduring approach. When every team member feels that sense of personal desire and unshakable efficacy, a leader no longer has to wield authority to make things happen. Instead, the leader’s role is to keep championing the broader purpose, clearing away outdated “Have to” structures, and supporting team members’ quests—allowing “Want to” to flourish.
If your current leadership methods feel draining or you sense that your team’s potential isn’t being realized, I’d urge you to explore the concepts of Want to and Efficacy laid out in this book. There’s a good chance it will resonate as a more natural, human-centered way to spark real change—a way that unleashes the best of what technology and people can do together.
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