Leading in ambiguity successfully requires stronger competencies, especially deciding without knowing, learning by doing at velocity, and building conviction through repetition. Founders get thousands of reps in these skills weekly—conflicting advice forces decisions, rapid experiments replace perfect planning, small failures build the muscle. Corporate leaders need the same capabilities, but their systems prioritize alignment over action and risk prevention over learning. They're stuck coordinating about decisions instead of making them. The answer isn't better training. It's changing the environment.

Leadership, StartupKarin WellbrockMarch 7, 2026Leadership, Professional development

Leading Light: Why the 'Technicolor Leader' is the Future of the C-Suite in Asia

For decades, you succeeded by becoming the "Monochrome Expert"—suppressing warmth, passion, and vulnerability to appear professional and bulletproof. But in the C-Suite, accuracy is merely table stakes. The new currency is Impact. This article explores why Asia's most effective female leaders are moving beyond the "Expertise Trap" to master Strategic Modulation—the art of deploying your full personality spectrum to create psychological safety, drive conviction, and build trust without sacrificing cultural intelligence.

Leadership, Women In LeadershipKarin WellbrockFebruary 14, 2026Leadership, Professional development, Career

When Engagement Scores Reveal What Trust Scores Would Say

When a pharmaceutical subsidiary in Japan received engagement scores of 9%—compared to 23% globally—the country head's first instinct was to blame the survey. But the real question cut deeper: If 93% of employees are disengaged, what does that reveal about trust in leadership? Through the story of Mike and his leadership team navigating cultural expectations and personal blind spots, this article explores what leaders can control when they can't control the corporate dashboard—and why waiting for the perfect trust initiative means losing the talent you can't afford to lose.

Why Your Goals Keep Not Happening …

Your goals aren't failing because you don't know what to do. They're failing because achieving them requires becoming someone you haven't yet learned to be. This is the knowing-being gap—the space between understanding what you should do and becoming who you need to be to actually do it. The transformation isn't about better planning or more willpower. It's about the courage to evolve your identity.

The Analog Paradox

Why are effective leaders trading laptops for leather planners during critical strategy sessions? It isn't technophobia; it is a sophisticated cognitive advantage. Explore the neuroscience of handwriting and discover practical ways to integrate analog tools into your digital world to deepen focus, clarity, and strategic intent.

Leadership, EngagementKarin WellbrockDecember 1, 2025Leadership, Professional development

No One Will Tap You on the Shoulder

She had everything it takes to lead—performance, influence, respect. Everyone came to her when things got stuck. But as she watched senior leaders tighten their grip on operations while competitors adapted faster, a gap was opening. "I think I could be the Country Head," she said in our coaching session, "but I'm not sure I'm ready."

The real block wasn't her capability. It was permission.

She'd been waiting for someone to tap her on the shoulder and say "now's the time." But no one was coming. The role she envisioned? She had to step into it, not wait to be invited.

The CEO Who Wasn't Needed

What happens when a new CEO arrives to find the organization running smoothly without them? This isn't about crisis management or turnaround strategies - it's about the far more complex challenge of integrating into a team that has already learned to succeed independently. Through a real case study from Japan's medical device industry, we explore why joining high-performing teams often proves harder than fixing broken ones, and what leaders can do about it.

When Crisis Strikes: How Organizations Reveal Their True Corporate Character

When crisis strikes, an organization's true nature is revealed. This piece explores how companies, much like individuals, exhibit "dark side" tendencies under pressure. Drawing on real-world examples, it delves into how aspirational values can transform into their extremes, offering crucial insights for leaders to build resilient and authentic corporate character.

Leadership, OrganizationKarin WellbrockJune 18, 2025Leadership, Corporate culture

Generations at the Table: Getting Intergenerational Teams Right in Japan

Intergenerational teams are no longer the exception- they’re the reality.
We explore how to get the best out of these diverse teams by drawing on Belbin’s team role research and our work with leadership teams in Japan. From uncovering hidden strengths to navigating generational dynamics, we share what helps these teams thrive - and what holds them back.

Leadership, Teams, TransformationKarin WellbrockJune 1, 2025Leadership, Team dynamics, Team leadership

Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: The Masaki Wakabayashi CEO Blueprint at GE Healthcare Japan

In this comprehensive dialogue, Masaki Wakabayashi, the President, and CEO of GE Healthcare Japan, unfolds his journey and the pivotal experiences that shaped his leadership style, his drive for excellence, and his profound commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, openness, and innovation within the organization.

Unveiling the Knowledge Hub: Dive into Our Blogs