Ueno Shingo (上野 真吾) began his career by earning trust through the grit he showed in his 20s, and in his 30s honed his management skills by learning to understand how others think. He later drove reforms to inventory and business models in his 40s, and in his 50s took on the challenge of revitalizing an organization as head of the energy division.
In his 20s, he earned the trust of business partners by standing firmly by the accuracy of his materials. He continued to develop an approach based on understanding others and finding common ground, and is described as having exercised leadership grounded in trust.
In his 30s, he learned the importance of understanding how counterparts think. During his posting in Iran, he accepted advice from a subordinate and came to recognize the importance of understanding the practical processes involved in banking and applications in detail. He also gained extensive experience in understanding the meaning of win-win through price negotiations aimed at securing long-term contracts.
During his posting in London in his 40s, he reassessed a business model centered on purchasing steel pipe and shifted to a Just In Time supply model integrating inventory and processing under unified management. He advanced organizational change by persuading employees on the front lines, with the aims of improving demand forecasts and maximizing asset efficiency.
A turning point in his 50s came when he immediately accepted an approach to become head of the energy division in Houston, United States, and went on to overcome difficult circumstances there. Following a major loss in 2014, efforts began to develop 30 mindsets and reshape the organization.
His message to business professionals living through an era of change is that they should cultivate curiosity, an attitude of viewing setbacks as opportunities for growth, and both the ability to formulate a vision and the ability to put it into practice during their 30s.