Chief Change Officer Podcast Episode #203: Ryota Tanosaki – From Pouring Drinks to Pouring Innovation into Japan’s Hotels

Release Date: February 27, 2025
Host: Vince Chan

In Episode #203 of "Chief Change Officer," host Vince Chan engages in an enlightening conversation with Ryota Tanosaki, the President and CEO of Tavist. This episode delves into Ryota’s remarkable career journey, his strategic leadership in the hospitality industry, and his philosophies on resilience and personal growth. For listeners who seek inspiration and actionable insights on navigating career transitions and driving organizational change, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom.

Introducing Ryota Tanosaki

Vince Chen opens the episode by introducing Ryota Tanosaki, highlighting their shared academic background as MBA classmates at Chicago Booth. He underscores Ryota’s profound connection to Japan, both professionally and personally, noting his admiration for Japan’s culture of craftsmanship and modernization. “As a business professional, I'm always amazed by Japan's culture of craftsmanship and its blend of tradition with modernization,” Vince remarks ([02:35]).

From Sales and Marketing to Management Consulting

Ryota begins by outlining his early career at Tantori, a beer and whiskey manufacturer, where he spent five years in sales and marketing. Seeking to expand his strategic and execution capabilities, he transitioned into management consulting. “I wanted to cultivate not just sales and marketing capability, but also strategy building capability and executing it,” Ryota explains ([05:46]).

Over the next twelve years, Ryota worked with various management consulting firms, tackling complex projects that provided deep insights into business strategy and execution. One standout project involved turning around a struggling department store in a rural Japanese city plagued by population decline. “Building strategy is totally different from executing strategy. In order for us to execute strategy as a manager, as a leader, you have to always consider people,” Ryota shares ([09:13]).

The Catalyst for an MBA

Vince shifts the conversation to Ryota’s decision to pursue an Executive MBA at Chicago Booth. Ryota candidly discusses his concerns about career stagnation and his desire to embrace global opportunities. “I started thinking why don’t I challenge more. I want to challenge not just in domestic cities in Japan, but also globally,” Ryota reveals ([11:28]).

This decision led Ryota to manage e-commerce operations at Transcosmos and subsequently transition to Facebook Japan as the Head of Client Solution Manager. His role at Facebook involved collaborating with the country manager to develop and execute strategic initiatives, further honing his leadership skills.

Embracing Career Transitions and Resilience

Vince reflects on the ubiquitous nature of career changes at different life stages, emphasizing the importance of embracing change proactively. He highlights how Ryota’s journey embodies the concept of turning insecurity into a positive driving force. “Change is inevitable, and embracing it can lead to unparalleled personal and professional growth,” Vince asserts ([15:43]).

Ryota agrees, sharing his passion for building teams and businesses. He emphasizes the necessity of embedding technical skills and digital experiences into his career to stay relevant in an evolving market. “I have to embed more technical skills and digital experiences through my career,” he states ([15:43]).

Handling Setbacks with Perseverance

The discussion moves to managing both successes and setbacks. Ryota attributes his ability to navigate challenges to his unwavering perseverance. Reflecting on his unexpected role at Transcosmos, he shares, “If you want to build something great or make a great thing, perseverance is quite important” ([18:56]).

Despite facing role misalignments and industry disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Ryota remained steadfast in his mission to drive innovation in the hospitality sector.

Leadership and Fostering Resilience in Teams

Vince probes into Ryota’s approach to fostering resilience within his team. Ryota outlines a three-pronged strategy:

1. Mission and Vision Communication: Clearly articulating the company’s mission to provide technology solutions for small and medium-sized hotels and ryokans. “Our mission is to provide technology for small and medium-sized hotels and ryokans to thrive,” Ryota emphasizes ([22:32]).

2. Strategic Clarity: Developing and sharing a clear strategy that differentiates Tavist from competitors. “We have to provide a strategy, share strategy with stakeholders, including employees,” he explains ([25:39]).

3. Leading by Example: Demonstrating leadership through active engagement with clients and partners. Ryota often visits local cities to meet potential clients, showcasing effective strategies in real-time. “I quite often visit local cities to meet some of the potential clients,” he notes ([27:07]).

These strategies ensure that his team remains motivated and aligned with the company’s long-term goals, fostering a culture of resilience and proactive problem-solving.

Teaching and Mentorship

Beyond his executive role, Ryota shares his experience as a faculty member at Globalist University, where he teaches marketing and strategy. He views teaching as an extension of his leadership philosophy, aimed at nurturing the next generation of business leaders. “Training and nurturing them is also quite important,” Ryota affirms ([29:24]).

Influential Reads: Books That Shaped Ryota’s Leadership

Ryota recommends two pivotal books that have significantly influenced his leadership approach:

1. "Innovate Glimmer" by Clay Lisdensen: This book transformed Ryota’s understanding of how small and medium-sized enterprises can compete against larger corporations. “Even products focused on small and medium-sized customers can win over the great products or great companies with large corporations,” Ryota explains ([30:30]).

2. "The High Growth Handbook" by Elad Gill: Providing practical insights into building and scaling startups, this book inspired Ryota to document his strengths and weaknesses to foster transparency within his team. “I just write down everything about me and share that kind of note with my employees at Tavist so they can learn, okay, who is Ryota, what kind of strengths he has, what kind of weakness he has,” he shares ([30:30]).

Concluding Reflections

As the episode draws to a close, Vince reflects on the importance of writing and reflection for clear thinking and problem-solving, tying it back to Ryota’s emphasis on strategic communication and leadership. The conversation ends on a hopeful note, with plans for future in-person interactions and mutual appreciation for the insightful dialogue ([35:44]).

Key Takeaways

• Strategic Leadership: Effective leaders differentiate between strategy formulation and execution, emphasizing the importance of aligning teams with the company’s mission and vision.

• Adaptability and Continuous Learning: Ryota’s career exemplifies the necessity of flexibility and ongoing education in navigating diverse career paths and industry challenges.

• Resilience Through Perseverance: Overcoming setbacks requires unwavering perseverance and a steadfast commitment to long-term goals.

• Mentorship and Teaching: Sharing knowledge and mentoring future leaders extends an executive’s impact beyond their immediate organization.

• Influential Literature: Strategic reading can profoundly shape leadership philosophies and operational strategies.

Notable Quotes

• Ryota Tanosaki ([09:13]): “Building strategy is totally different from executing strategy. In order for us to execute strategy as a manager, as a leader, you have to always consider people.”

• Ryota Tanosaki ([11:28]): “I started thinking why don’t I challenge more. I want to challenge not just in domestic cities in Japan, but also globally.”

• Ryota Tanosaki ([15:43]): “I realized that I was quite excited about building team and building business. Not just building the great strategy and letting clients execute it.”

• Ryota Tanosaki ([18:56]): “If you want to build something great or make a great thing, perseverance is quite important.”

• Ryota Tanosaki ([22:32]): “Our mission is to provide technology for small and medium-sized hotels and ryokans to thrive.”

• Ryota Tanosaki ([25:39]): “We have to provide a strategy, share strategy with stakeholders, including employees.”

• Ryota Tanosaki ([30:30]): “Even products focused on small and medium-sized customers can win over the great products or great companies with large corporations.”

For those eager to outgrow themselves and harness change as a superpower, this episode offers invaluable insights from a leader who has successfully navigated multiple career transitions and driven innovation in a traditional industry. Subscribe to "Chief Change Officer" on LinkedIn, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube to continue your journey toward personal and professional transformation.