This evening, through an extensive and unlikely series of fortunate events, I found myself having dinner with the CEO of Microsoft Japan. Takuya Hirano is a tall, well-dressed Japanese man who speaks fluent California English. He was generous with his time and conversation, and gave me several insights and pieces of advice which I relate below.
After the small talk was over, I made like an absolute tourist and asked if he'd met Bill Gates. He had, of course. As a relatively junior Microsoft team member, fourteen years ago, Takuya made a presentation to Gates, who looked, he said, like he hadn't slept or showered in many days. He was sitting in an office chair, clutching his knees and rocking back and forth rhythmically.
Takuya delivered his presentation, Gates asked several incisive questions and then turned the tables and asked the junior staff if they had any questions for him. According to Mr. Hirano, there were no questions about Microsoft products, policy or strategy that Gates couldn't answer immediately and accurately. He had a savant's comprehension of every moving part of his business, and those of his competitors.
Mr. Hirano told me that he has allowed three principles to guide his career. Here they are, and what he said about them.
1. Have Big Ambitions
It's ok to expect more from life than other people do—in fact, it's almost a requirement for leaders. Takuya said that every enterprise experiences a certain amount of setbacks and adversity. If your vision is average, it will be easily overwhelmed by an average amount of adversity. However, if your vision and drive are unusual, they can survive these storms when they come.
He paused here and noted that he was borrowing this idea from Keisuke Honda, the former A.C. Milan midfielder, with whom he is apparently quite close. I guess Takuya has helped Honda choose which startups to invest in, and the footballer now owns equity in more than seventy.
2. Stick to Your Core Values
Takuya said that when he first interviewed with Microsoft, they were the only company he spoke with that didn't discuss salary or title. Instead, they asked him about his ambitions, and talked about the company culture and vision. They told him that Microsoft was out to change the world, and asked if he was interested in helping them do it.
The idea of changing the world for the better was one of Takuya's core values, and so he accepted, despite the Microsoft job offering less salary and prestige than any of the other ones he was interviewing for. Identify your values first, Takuya said, and then find a company that matches them. Don't change them depending on the boss, company or opportunity.
The only reason I was at the dinner in the first place was because Takuya served an LDS mission with my dad back in the 80's, and they've been friends ever since. At one point in the dinner, he turned to my dad and said, "Do you know why I respect you so much? It's because you're authentic." Dad smiled in his checkered shirt and cowboy boots, and the meal moved on, but it was an interesting moment of business namaste. The core values in one person recognizing the values in another.
3. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone Often
Hard work, Takuya said, becomes second nature after awhile. He works 12 hour days without thinking much of it. While it might be a blessing that hard work loses its terror with familiarity, it also makes it easy to slip into a rut. Sometimes our work flows get so efficient that we no longer need to learn anything new or face anything intimidating—both important experiences for your development.
Takuya says he has sought out challenging and difficult work assignments in order to avoid sinking into a rut. His career has taken him all over the world. He's worked in Europe, the US and Japan, each with its own unique challenges and steep learning curves. These decisions forced him to learn quickly and stay flexible, and also brought him visibility and esteem which led to promotions.
So there you go. The three lessons a millionaire taught me. I fully expect to be haunted by his ghost when I'm a washed-up lawyer bum, living in squalid poverty as karmic punishment for ignoring his sage advice. If not that, regardless of my future success, I will certainly be haunted by the image of unwashed Rain-man Bill Gates clutching his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth in his chair while listening to important business reports.