Yoshito Hori speaks about leadership lessons with enthusiasm in a suit and tie
©GLOBIS

Influencer Marketing

Expand your reach and engage with your target audience using this trending technique that blends celebrity endorsements with social media marketing.

Leading High Performing Remote Teams

How can leaders ensure that performance remains high in remote or hybrid-work environments?

Design Thinking

Learn the 5 phases of this problem-solving methodology and switch from technology-centered to user-centered thinking.

Reciprocity

Learn what reciprocity is and how it can motivate people and boost sales.

Gantt Chart

Invented in the early 20th century, the Gantt Chart is one of the building blocks of modern project management. In this online course, you'll learn how this tool can be used effectively to monitor progress and achieve your team's goals.

Navigating Change Successfully

The working landscape is continually shifting and being disrupted, so how to employees maintain a sense of stability? Listen to CEO and president of Carl ZEISS Japan Stefan Sacre share his expertise on dealing with change in organizations and entire industries.

Halo Effect

The halo effect is often leveraged for marketing and promotion. But as a type of cognitive bias, it can also have a subconscious impact on decision-making in the workplace. Learn why and (how to overcome it) in this online course.

Anchoring and Framing

Want to increase your confidence during negotiations? Master the principles of anchoring and framing to take your negotiation skills to the next level.

ZOPA and BATNA

Understanding ZOPA and BATNA will help you become a better negotiator, create more value, and feel more confident at the table.

Content Marketing

In this course, you’ll learn how compelling blogs, videos, podcasts, and other media can reach customers and drive sales. You’ll also learn steps for creating an effective content marketing plan, and some important ways to measure its impact and success.

Content marketing is a essential digital marketing strategy for companies looking to provide relevant and useful information to support your community and attract new customers.

Get started on your content marketing journey today.

Sustainable Innovation in Times of Disruption: Choices for a Better Society

There are opportunities for progress all around us. The key is to innovate on these opportunities sustainably.

To help identify most effective path forward, you'll need to gain a global perspective to these challenges in an open discussion. How can Japan and the world take action to create a more sustainable, innovative world? Where do you fit in?

It's time to find out.

Social Media & Digital Communications: Impact on Global Public Opinion

Social and digital media have dominated the communications industry for decades. But it's no secret that social media has the power to sway public opinion, and the way in which many companies use these platforms could be seen as manipulative.

What do companies need to be aware of when utilizing social and digital media? How can these mediums be used to better communicate strategically with the world?

Discover what top media and communications experts have to say.

Blockchain

Blockchain is one of the most captivating technologies out there. Learn what it is and how to make use of its opportunities in this short online course.

Mehrabian’s Rule

The 7-38-55 Rule, developed by Albert Mehrabian, suggests that effective communication relies less on the words we choose than on our tone of our voice, appearance, and body language. Learn how to put this theory to use for better communication in business.

Pareto Principle

Your time and resources are limited. Efficiency means learning to prioritize. The Pareto principle (also called the 80-20 rule) can help you identify the best way to use your time for maximum results.

Country Analysis Framework

Overseas expansion requires careful planning. The Country Analysis Framework can help you look beyond an industry-level analysis and reframe your view based on performance, strategy, and context. Try this short course to learn how it works.

SECI Model

The SECI model illustrates how knowledge is created and shared. Learn how to put it to use for best practices, and how the Japanese concept of “ba” fits in to broaden your perspective.

Johari Window Model

The Johari Window Model is a self-awareness framework that helps you better understand . . . you. Learn how its four quadrants can help you identify gaps between how you see yourself, and how others see you.

Sunk Costs

Wondering if you should continue an investment or look for something new? Sunk costs can have a powerful psychological impact on decision-making. Learn how to recognize them to ensure rational decisions.

CAGE Distance Framework

Want to expand overseas? The CAGE distance framework can help ensure you're constructing a solid global strategy in four areas: cultural, administrative, economic, and geographic. Learn how to leverage useful differences between countries, identify potential obstacles, and achieve global business success.

Groupthink

Groupthink refers to group pressure and the perception of consensus which together lead to ill-formed decisions—or even unnecessary risks. Learn to identify the warning signs of groupthink and apply countermeasures in this online course.

Deductive and Inductive Reasoning

Solving problems with the best results means using two types of thinking: deductive and inductive reasoning. In this online course, learn to form a broad premise, make observations, and form conclusions from different perspectives.

Critical Thinking: Hypothesis-Driven Thinking

Anyone can come up with a good idea. The real challenge is putting that idea into action. In this online course, explore how to form compelling, testable hypotheses and bring ideas to life in your own organization.

Critical Thinking: Structured Reasoning

Even a few simple techniques for logical decision making and persuasion can vastly improve your skills as a leader. Explore how critical thinking can help you evaluate complex business problems, reduce bias, and devise effective solutions.

Critical Thinking: Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is a central business skill, and yet it's the one many people struggle with most. This course will show you how to apply critical thinking techniques to common business examples, avoid misunderstandings, and get at the root of any problem.

How to Dream

Join globally renowned author and Columbia Business School professor Dr. Sheena Iyengar as she explains how to approach your dreams with a new perspective. Learn to reflect on what you long to accomplish and what stands in your way.

Logical Thinking

Logical thinking is at the heart of confident, persuasive decisions. This course will equip you with a five-point approach to more becoming a more logical thinker. Learn to classify ideas and distinguish fact from opinion.

Investing & Diversity: The Changing Faces of Venture Capitalists

Is the venture capital industry embracing diversity in investors? Watch global venture capitalists from around the world discuss the state of things and what needs to be done for a more inclusive future.

Servant Leadership

There's more to leadership than driving a team to profit. In fact, there's a word for looking beyond self-interest to prioritize individual growth: servant leadership. Try this course for a quick breakdown of what that is, how it works, and how it can lead to organizational success.

Organizational Behavior and Leadership

Ever wonder what makes a great leader? Whether your role requires leadership or not, understanding organizational behavior is useful for your career. This course from GLOBIS Unlimited can set you on your way.

Leadership vs. Management

Leadership and management are different skills, but today’s leaders must have both. Try out this course from GLOBIS Unlimited to understand the difference, as well as when and why each skill is necessary for motivation, communication, and value.

Strategy: Creating Value Inside Your Company

Have you ever wondered why certain companies are more successful than others? The answer is strategy: internal processes that control costs, allocate resources, and create value. This course from GLOBIS Unlimited can give you the tools you need for that strategic edge.

Strategy: Understanding the External Environment

To plan strategy on any level, you need to understand your company's external environment. In fact, your level of understanding can impact hiring, budgeting, marketing, or nearly any other part of the business world. Want to learn how to do all that? This course from GLOBIS Unlimited is the perfect first step!

Using Japanese Values to Thrive in Global Business

Japanese companies have unique cultural, communication, and operational challenges. But they also have values that have led to remarkable longevity. Check out this seminar to hear how these values help earn trust from overseas head offices and develop employees.

Turnaround Leadership: The Differences Between Japan and the West

What's the best way for leaders to communicate a shift in corporate strategy? How do you even know when it's time for such a change? This course explains how Japan might have one answer, Western companies another.

Conflict Management

Conflicts in the workplace are inevitable. But they can lead to positive outcomes if they’re managed well. Check out this online course for a two-step process that can help you manage conflict successfully.

Evernote Founder: How Tech Startups Can Break through in Japan

Can startup models from Hollywood and Silicon Valley succeed anywhere? Phil Libin, cofounder and CEO of startup incubator All Turtles, explains how AI can solve everyday problems to bring products to market.

Women Empowerment: Lessons from Cartier

How can women overcome gender inequality and reach their leadership goals? Cartier Japan CEO June Miyachi shares her secret in this special course from GLOBIS Unlimited.

Marketing: Reaching Your Target

Every company works hard to get its products into the hands of customers. Are you doing everything you can to compete? In this course, you’ll find a winning formula to turn a product idea into real sales. Follow along through the fundamentals of the marketing mix and see how companies successfully bring products to market.

Marketing Mix

Seeing good products into the hands of customers is no easy task. The marketing mix can help. It's a collection of strategies and tactics companies utilize to get customers to purchase their products or services, and is an essential part of the overall marketing process.

The Principles of Negotiation

With the proper skills and attitude, anyone can become a successful negotiator.  But first, you'll need to learn the basics to prepare for, assess, and respond to offers for the best results. GLOBIS Unlimited can help.

Negotiation: Creating Value

Want to create more shared value between yourself and your negotiation opponent? Discover how cognitive bias affects the judgment of others. Try this course from GLOBIS Unlimited to master the value of negotiation.

Finding Your Life Purpose with Ikigai

Ikigai can guide you in your quest for self-discovery. Listen to Japanese brain scientist Ken Mogi explain why and how.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Want to leverage Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a leader? Try this short course to see how the theory can be applied in practical work scenarios.

Confirmation Bias

We all subconsciously collect information that reinforces our preconceptions. It's natural . . . but it does lead to a kind of flawed decision-making called confirmation bias. To become more objective and impartial, check out this course from GLOBIS Unlimited!

An Investor's Lesson to Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs have the power to transform societies for the better. But how do you attract investors to start or grow a business? Or to sell one? Check out this seminar for the answers to these and more, straight from a master venture capitalist!

Managerial Accounting

Managerial accounting is a powerful way to measure progress, identify problems, and meet your goals. Check out this course to learn how data-backed decisions can help you run your business.

Finance Basics: 1

For a healthy mix of quantitative planning, evaluation, and management, you need solid decision-making. And finance is the secret sauce! Get the essentials of finance in this two-part course from GLOBIS Unlimited.

Basic Accounting: Financial Analysis

Want to compare your performance vs. a competitor? Or evaluate a potential vendor? Then you'll need to conduct a financial analysis. This course will teach you how to use three financial statements and evaluate financial performance in terms of profitability, efficiency, soundness, growth, and overall strength.

Career Anchors

What drives you to be good at your job?

Career anchors are based on your values, desires, motivations, and abilities. They are the immovable parts of your professional self-image that guide you throughout your career journey.

Try this short GLOBIS Unlimited course to identify which of the eight career anchors is yours!

Digital Marketing Psychology to Transform Your Business

How does digital marketing really differ from traditional marketing? How is social media changing things really? And what's going on in Asia?

Pyramid Structure

Having the pyramid structure in your communication toolkit can not only help you approach a problem, but convince others that your solution is valid. Break away from linear thinking and test your logical thinking with this course from GLOBIS Unlimited!

Leadership with Passion through Kokorozashi

The key ingredient to success? Passion.

Finding your kokorozashi will unify your passions and skills to create positive change in society. This GLOBIS Unlimited course will help you develop the values and lifelong goals you need to become a strong, passion-driven leader.

AI First Companies – Implementation and Impact

AI is changing the way companies operate. How do you structure teams to increase efficiency?

Technovate in the Era of Industry 4.0

Is Industry 4.0 is the next step of human evolution human civilization? Dr. Jorge Calvo seems to think so. Join him to learn how the past can help you set goals for an exciting future of digital innovation.

Technovate Thinking

Business leaders of tomorrow need to harness the power of technology and innovation. That means understanding algorithms and how they drive business results. Discover opportunities to make technology work for your competitive edge.

Product Life Cycle

Every product takes a natural course through the market—there's a how, when, and why customers adopt products at different stages. Check out this course from GLOBIS Unlimited to find out how a product you use every day is part of this cycle.

Logic Tree

Logical thinking is the most valuable asset any business professional can have. That's why logic trees are such a valuable tool—they can help you identify a problem, break it down, and build it back up to a solution.

MECE Principle

Using the MECE principle can help ensure you categorize without gaps or overlaps. Check out this course from GLOBIS Unlimited for a practical demonstration of how it works!

It was 15 years ago to the day (August 1, 1992) that GLOBIS was officially launched. That means I left Sumitomo Corporation 15 years ago yesterday (July 31, 1992), when I was 30 years old. That evening, my friends all got together at a disco in Ginza to celebrate my setting out into the world of startup enterprises. My wife, to whom I was then engaged, also came along. We popped the champagne and raised our glasses to the future. That moment was at the tail-end of the economic bubble.

The next day, August 1, GLOBIS launched without even an office. We were using one of the rooms in my apartment as a base, so I didn’t have to commute to work. I woke up, walked into the room next door, and was in my office.

After leaving Sumitomo Corporation, I had an unwavering resolve to commit myself to a startup business. Since then, I have always acted quickly. In one stroke, I increased our capital stock of 800,000 yen into 20,000,000 yen. On August 20, we moved into our one-floor, 65m² office in Kojimachi. We were able to rent it for the knock-down price of 15,000 yen per tsubo (3.3 m2), without any deposit or key money. I invited a number of friends and supporters to a humble office opening and clearly remember looking out of the window, saying, “From here I can see the world. Today marks the first step forward of the GLOBIS advance.”

We recruited employees, gathered students, invited faculty, and scored a huge client: NTT. Sometime after that, we were able to move the classroom from the rented space in Dogenzaka to the upper floor of our Kojimachi office. Then, somewhat recklessly, one year after the company’s founding, we started our Osaka campus. It was crazy. The office was the very picture of a startup enterprise, with part-time workers constantly coming and going and the radio always blaring.

Since then, we’ve been at it non-stop for 15 years. Here are just a few of the images that stick out in my memory:

August 1, 1992
GLOBIS established

January 1993
Large-scale training job for NTT
In order to fulfill this job, I bought a sleeping bag and spent 3–4 days a week in the office, working all night in between short naps.

April 1993
Upon setting up the Osaka Campus, there wasn’t even enough money to stay in a hotel, so I crashed on the floor of a friend’s office. There was no shower, so I had to wipe myself down with a wet towel. That seems unthinkable now!

September 1993
I returned from my honeymoon only to hear we were falling short of funds, so we made a bold move to take out a 1/3 page advertisement in The Nikkei Shimbun. Somehow, this helped us navigate this turbulent patch. We still advertise in The Nikkei to this day.

1995
Publication of The MBA Management Book
With this, the GLOBIS name became well known. Quite honestly, I never expected it to sell so well, let alone generate an entire series of books!

1996
Moved to our newly built, 250m² office
With a whole floor to ourselves, I felt that I had moved up a little in the world.

November 1996
Formulated GLOBIS Fund No. 1
It was a small sum of 540 million yen, but this was the beginning of GLOBIS Capital Partners (GCP).

1997
Initiated a joint MBA Program with the University of Leicester in England
GLOBIS courses became recognized for credit at a British university.

April 1998
Flew to the U.S. to do a presentation for Apax
Met Alan Patricof for the first time. I had a hunch that we would become lifetime partners.

January 1999
Headed for New York from London to sign a deal with Apax
This capital tie-up paved the way for forming the venture capital Fund No. 2, at a scale of 20 billion yen.

Around this same time, GLOBIS Management Bank (GMB) was launched, and the GLOBIS infrastructure of people, capital, and knowledge was complete.

April 2003
Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA), a society-recognized business school, opened in Tokyo, forming the foundation of the GLOBIS MBA curriculum.

October 2003
Opened the Nagoya Campus 
This brought our passionate leaders of change and creativity together in the three major Japanese urban centers: Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

April 2004
GDBA commenced courses at the Osaka Campus, and the Osaka Office moved to Mido-suji Avenue, in front of the Nanba Shrine. Things were going very well.

April 2005
The first Asuka Conference
Students, faculty, staff, and guest speakers all got together for an overnight Japanese version of the Davos forum.

April 2006
The Graduate School of Management, GLOBIS University launched
We officially became able to issue MBAs, and I was inaugurated as dean.

August 2006
GLOBIS Group Fund No. 3 independently launched
Now it stands at an impressive 18 billion yen.

August 1, 2007
Today, our 15th anniversary.

GLOBIS is now operating as the No. 3 business/graduate school in Japan. Under our umbrella, we have venture capital funds of some 40 billion yen. GLOBIS has also grown into a substantial group that delivers training programs to more than 250 major Japanese corporations, runs an executive search firm, and has published over a million books in the MBA series.

Throughout all these activities and accomplishments, I have gotten married, brought five children into the world, and steadily aged 15 years.

At GLOBIS, we don’t celebrate on the actual day of establishment. The first Sunday and Monday of August each year are set aside for a company trip to celebrate our establishment. When we first started this tradition, it occurred to me that the anniversary of establishment merited a day off from work. I even left an answering machine message saying, “Today we are on holiday to celebrate the day of our establishment.”

I decided to coin this year’s trip as “15th Anniversary: Expression of Gratitude to Staff Families @ Karuizawa” and invite all family members of the GLOBIS staff on an all-expense-paid trip this weekend. Classes finish on Saturday, so the following Sunday, we’ll all head to Karuizawa, where I will hold a BBQ lunch at my mountain lodge, followed by a party in the evening, with a Japanese dress code. Everyone will have time on Monday to enjoy tennis or golf. I was initially thinking of going overseas on this occasion, but eventually decided that I should express my gratitude to my dearest stakeholders, the family members of GLOBIS staff, by playing the role of host.

Crossing the 15-year milestone means the first half of my 30-year plan is complete. When I first launched GLOBIS, I planned ahead 30 years. Half of this plan has now been done. For the remaining half, I intend to go forward with a more global scope and focus on becoming the No. 1 Business School in Asia and the No.1 Venture Capital Firm in Asia. If we’ve managed to come this far in 15 years, I think it is not at all out of the question to set off on the path toward becoming No.1 in Asia.

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