Abhijit Dubey: Silicon Valley Meets Japanese Leadership
In this interview I speak to Abhijit Dubey, Global CEO of NTT Ltd. We discuss how he’s combining Silicon Valley and traditional Japanese leadership styles to bring together 39 companies in a…
Search
1 interview · 10 quotes
Conversations
In this interview I speak to Abhijit Dubey, Global CEO of NTT Ltd. We discuss how he’s combining Silicon Valley and traditional Japanese leadership styles to bring together 39 companies in a…
From the archive
An example of this successful approach was our first enterprise private 5G launch, which we achieved remarkably fast – from ideation to market-ready delivery in just six weeks. This achievement highlights the effectiveness of our strategy in driving innovation at speed.
— Abhijit DubeyA principle that I hold personally important is radical transparency in communication. This transparency extends from the shareholders to every level within the organization. It's vital that everyone is aware of what is working, what isn't, and the actions required for improvement.
— Abhijit DubeyFirstly, it's crucial to adopt a bold mindset right from the start. I advocate for setting almost unrealistic targets. This approach might seem counterintuitive, but it's essential for enabling substantial change. If we only aim for realistic targets, our efforts will be limited to minor tweaks rather than significant transformations.
— Abhijit DubeyPerhaps the most critical element is the cultural integration. The distinct cultures of the two companies present a significant challenge, consuming 80-90% of our efforts. Our goal is to forge a unified team culture, permeating from senior leadership to the deepest levels of the organization.
— Abhijit DubeyA crucial realization for me is that the management styles of the West and East are not mutually exclusive. In fact, blending the best elements of each can be highly effective. Western management, particularly in Silicon Valley, is often seen as a triumph of capitalism, primarily focused on maximizing shareholder value. Contrastingly, my experience with NTT revealed a different approach, one that prioritizes stakeholders, sometimes even more than shareholders.
— Abhijit DubeyIn my role, I assess new investments and innovations not just through financial lenses but also considering their societal and environmental impacts. This broader perspective is a key difference from the shareholder-centric approach. Another notable distinction is the focus in Silicon Valley on technological superiority, whereas in Japan, there's an intense emphasis on delivery quality and the customer and employee experience.
— Abhijit DubeyThe most critical element is the cultural integration. The distinct cultures of the two companies present a significant challenge, consuming 80-90% of our efforts. Our goal is to forge a unified team culture, permeating from senior leadership to the deepest levels.
— Abhijit DubeyIt's crucial to adopt a bold mindset right from the start. I advocate for setting almost unrealistic targets. If we only aim for realistic targets, our efforts will be limited to minor tweaks rather than significant transformations.
— Abhijit DubeyIn my role, I assess new investments and innovations not just through financial lenses but also considering their societal and environmental impacts. This broader perspective is a key difference from the shareholder-centric approach.
— Abhijit DubeyWestern management styles and Eastern management philosophies are not mutually exclusive. In fact, blending the best elements of each can be highly effective. It's not about choosing one philosophy over the other. It's about selecting and integrating the best aspects of both to enhance how you run a business.
— Abhijit Dubey