Mickey’s Voice
Insights from our CEO
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Play catch with your left and right brain: Inside insights on Business-Do
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. There is something that all successful entrepreneurs have in common but that anyone can try out. You see it at work especially in those “crazy” entrepreneurs – the ones who attempt outrageous innovations that everyone says can’t be done. Entrepreneurs like myself, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. Innovation accelerator and innovation brake This…
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How an international education changed my life: Diversity drives innovation
Above image: My father, Ryoichi Mikitani (far left) during his time as a Fulbright Scholar. Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. It was a Fulbright scholarship that led to my father, Ryoichi Mikitani, becoming one of the first generation of Japanese scholars to travel to the United States after World War II to study. Thanks to the program and to the warm hospitality of his hosts, he su…
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Taking Action Leads to Deeper Thinking: Inside Insights on Business-Do
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. You’ve got an idea for something new. What should you do? Should you hold back and plan or get started and learn on the fly? The answer is: yes. Both those things are critical to the successful launch of a new idea. While they seem to be in conflict, in fact, they represent the natural tension that exists in any new endeavor. This topic is especiall…
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A new year, a new decade: Rakuten looks ahead
Above image: A handwritten prayer for the New Year at Atago Shrine in Tokyo: “To the world winning against COVID-19 and an economic recovery, Mickey Mikitani.” Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. As we say goodbye to 2020, I am looking ahead — not just into 2021 but to the coming decade as well. We are on the cusp of great things. Of course, the year we have all just endur…
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Mindset, skills and knowledge: Inside Insights on Business-Do
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. At Rakuten, we are deliberately reconnecting to our core principles. Every week, we are holding a reading and Q&A session to explore a principle from Business-Do, the book I wrote to capture these core principles for success. This grew out of our efforts to welcome new recruits during the early stages of the pandemic. To ensure they could connec…
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Balancing patience and speed
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. We live in an era of instant gratification. We want everything to be fast — shipping, profits, communication, fashion, food — everything. So when something doesn’t happen swiftly, we are quick to criticize, even if that experience is far faster than it used to be. We are conditioned to value speed. Of course, I’m no different. In fact, you cou…
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Why innovators can find inspiration in the everyday
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. As a global innovation company, we never stop looking for new ways to tackle challenges and achieve our goals. New business models, new services, new ways of empowering society and connecting communities around the world. It can be easy to become obsessed with “the new.” However, a great innovator can often find inspiration, not just by…
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Engage your mental energy
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. Perhaps it wasn’t obvious until it was absent, but we draw a lot of our work-related energy from interaction with our co-workers. On any given day, before the pandemic hit, we might have found ourselves at our desks, perhaps losing focus, mind wandering. But a quick check-in with teammates or a casual chat with a nearby colleague and we were snapped…
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Why reviewing Japan’s COVID-19 entry restrictions opens our doors to diversity and innovation
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc.Representative Director, JANE The impact of COVID-19 is making us re-examine many social and working norms. Companies who have moved with agility to reposition their workforce and challenge existing norms have found ways to thrive. It’s during times like these that we need to draw on all our resources and talent. That’s why I called for a rev…
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Finding windows to work on your weaknesses
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten, Inc. What are your weaknesses? Outside of a job interview, it’s not a question we’re often asked to face. Indeed, we are often schooled in the art of hiding our weaknesses, of avoiding the issues that are holding us back. Pro athletes, for example, are known to hide injuries. They’ll adjust training, rely on their strengths and try to skirt the problem a…
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