The Importance of Seizing Opportunities: What Sumitomo Corporation President and CEO Shingo Ueno Told Junior and Senior High School Students at His Alma Mater

The Mirai School at Rokko Junior/Senior High School in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan – Ueno's alma mater – comprised two parts: a talk by Ueno and a roundtable session for students who wished to take part. For the talk, all third-year high school students gathered in the large hall, and other grades joined online. In total, around a thousand students participated.

Before beginning the hall buzzed with conversation, but once the talk began the mood changed as students listened intently to Ueno.

To develop the ability to seize opportunities, Ueno also stated that we all need "curiosity and wide-ranging interests."

"It's estimated that 80 percent of an individual's career is determined by unplanned events. This is all the more reason to be curious about everything. Even if you haven't decided your career path now, if you maintain curiosity, something that inspires you will naturally appear. And even if your path is set, your interests may change along the way. This isn't 'failure,' but 'evolution.' I hope you will adopt a similar mindset and embrace any opportunity that comes your way."

During the subsequent Q&A session, enthusiastic questions poured in in response to Ueno's message. One example is listed below.

Q:"If you had stayed in tubular, your future path might have been clearer. Didn't you feel anxious or disadvantaged jumping into a new field?"

A (Ueno):"I certainly felt anxiety about leading a field I'd never worked in. But more than that, my range of experience was far too narrow. I thought, 'If I broaden my experience now, it will be advantageous in the future,' and that's why I decided to take the plunge. Not to mention, my boss at the time said, 'I believe Ueno can do it,' so I really wanted to meet his expectations. To seize opportunities, it's also important to face people with integrity and value your relationships with them."

The roundtable held in a multipurpose room drew many students from first-year junior high to third-year high school. Students asked questions freely and Ueno responded openly. Topics ranged from "How to improve spoken English" to "Life overseas" to "The mindset unique to an integrated trading company president." Highlights included the questions and answers below.

Q: I think the experience of "personal growth after being admonished by your boss" is dwindling these days. How can we create our own opportunities to grow?

A:Appropriate guidance to foster growth, rather than excessive instruction, still exists. For example, at Sumitomo Corporation we provide growth opportunities by sending employees early in their careers to the front lines of overseas business to face challenges. But growth isn't determined by environment alone. The courage to actively seize these chances is an essential factor.

Q: Interacting with children in developing countries, I was amazed at how positive they were. As we engage with the world, is there one quality you hope Japanese people will display?

A:I don't want to put people into a "Japanese" mold, but if I had to name one quality it would be integrity. In overseas business settings, a certain trust has taken root in the attitude of "doing exactly what you promised, and even more than was asked." I hope you will continue to value that integrity. At the same time, Sumitomo Corporation is a global company with bases around the world. It doesn't consist solely of Japanese employees. Employees hired in our overseas offices are active, receive the same training and share common values while doing their work.

Q: As president, you must make decisions every day. What do you emphasize in making them?

A:Whatever the business, I first focus on whether it has social significance. Projects that only pursue economic value while being a detriment to society will not last. "Can we contribute to society?" "Are we creating sustainable value?" – these are my decision-making criteria. Another important point is engaging with people sincerely. For example, when I became president, instead of giving a speech from the podium, I sat among the employees and delivered my speech while seated like everyone else. Even now I have opportunities for direct communication by holding roundtable discussions with employees. A great number of new ideas and insights come from these conversations.

In closing, we asked a student, a teacher and Ueno himself for their impressions of Mirai School.

Describing the realizations he had during the talk, a third-year high school student who also joined the roundtable said, "What Mr. Ueno said about curiosity and integrity resonated deeply with me. If you have wide-ranging interests, I think it's easier to find common ground with others, giving you the chance to face them as an equal. Connecting these two ideas was huge for me."

A teacher who observed the talk commented, "I think the students were very stimulated. Especially third-year high school students who are about to sit university entrance exams and wondering 'What does the future hold?' were deeply affected by the words of such a senior alumnus."

It wasn't only the students who were inspired. Ueno himself shared his impressions of the event, saying, "I also found it tremendously stimulating. Through all the student questions, I came to understand how today's young people think and what they are interested in. This was very encouraging. In the era ahead, companies like ours must actively incorporate the thinking and ideas of young people with high digital literacy. By drawing on their strengths, we will continue to grow. This experience reminded me of that – and made me realize once again that Mirai School has significance beyond education."