The Burning Eyes I Saw Amidst the Sugarcane Fields
Kolhapur, India 🇮🇳.
In a serene town surrounded by sugarcane fields, an official World Economic Forum summit was held: “The Deccan Dialogue.”
The theme of my session was “Body Speech: The Biology of Trust in Leadership.” Although the stage was set for “a dialogue with the next generation,” I chose to set aside my prepared script. Reading the energy of the room, I used a quote from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the outset to create an environment where the essence of Body Speech could truly be delivered.
The Words of Satya Nadella
At the beginning, I posed this question:
“The future of leadership belongs to the ‘learn-it-all,’ not the ‘know-it-all.’”
— Satya Nadella
From a technical perspective as a communication expert, this quote was not just a phrase; it was a strategic move to instantly cultivate a receptive mindset among a diverse, international audience. With this foundation laid, it became possible for the core theme of my session, Body Speech, to be transmitted beyond the barriers of language.
Body Speech: The Biology of Trust in Leadership
The Body Speech™ method, which I developed, is a communication art that deals with the “biology of trust” that exists beyond words. Stance, gaze, expression, breath, timing, the use of silence—all of these form the non-verbal architecture that builds trust between people. What I realized anew in the multicultural setting of The Deccan Dialogue was that Body Speech functions as a “universal language” that transcends culture and language.
A Gaze of True Learning
The gaze of the university students in Kolhapur was unforgettable. I can still feel how my heart was deeply moved by their “living eyes.” They were not there to seek “answers,” but to listen with a posture of true learning. This was the very spirit of the “learn-it-all” I had hoped to convey.
It was because of this sincere attitude that, after my talk, I received an outpouring of feedback from students, saying they “deeply understood the concept of Coherence (the alignment of mind, word, and deed)” and that “their perspective on leadership had changed.” The tangible feeling that the core of Body Speech had been directly communicated across cultural and historical backgrounds was an indescribably rewarding experience for me.
A receptive posture itself becomes the foundation of trust, powerfully amplifying the impact of Body Speech. This is the core of what I want to convey as “the biology of leadership.”
A Vision to Bring Back to Japan
This experience was yet another powerful validation of my vision: “to make Body Speech a universal language.” The next step is to practically implement this “culture of listening” and “art of leading by presence” in universities, corporations, and educational settings in Japan. I want to root a form of learning that uses the body and the space—one that goes beyond formal knowledge.
For speaking engagements, training, and corporate workshop inquiries, please contact me here.
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