Message to Galvanizers from a LEADer

To: New Leaders of a “Galvanizer” cohort

Congratulations???I am so happy that you joined the LEAD program.

As a complimentary remark, I gladly share 2 stories with new LEADers.

One story is about how I was able to leave my mark to the LEAD community. Another is about how the LEAD program has impacted my life to the full extent.

1. My mark to the LEAD community

After completing 8 courses in the 1st year, my aspiration to be a better version of myself hasn’t diminished. To pursue my mission,?“To make positive impacts on people’s lives, community, and the world”, I made my wish of being a Course Facilitator come true so as to help others succeed.

I didn’t forget myself as a lifelong learner as well. That has led me to attain a Distinguished Scholar by successfully completing 12 courses in 2 years with Intellectual Contribution Awards from 4 courses.

Through the last 2 and a half years, I spoke with a number of people to advocate the LEAD program. With my encouragement, 10 business professionals from the east coast and west coast, Japan, Singapore, and Nigeria joined the community as a LEADer.

LEAD program even led me to get my dream job at Udemy in Silicon Valley. I had an unbelievable conviction of heart that THIS IS THE PLACE I want to belong where people respect, trust, and inspire each other. That is surprisingly and interestingly the same feeling I had when I joined the Stanford LEAD community. Culture is build by its people.

2 cents to Galvanizers

“A great question to ask yourself each week: Would I have done this, had I not taken the course? If there isn’t anything in your planned action that challenges you or feels out of your comfort zone, then you are probably not pushing yourself enough.” (by Michael Wenderoth, my respectful Course Facilitator at Building Power to Lead course)

Let us leave a mark to the LEAD community together. Shall we?

2. Sharing My Own Obituary

My 8th quarter as a participant as well as a Course Facilitator was indeed challenging enough to get out of my comfort zone. Creating a Life of Consequence course became the highlight of my 2 years of learnings at the LEAD program.?

The most joyful assignment was writing my own obituary. This quite unique experience provided me with a lot of great opportunities.

• embrace the past and feel gratitude towards everyone and everything I care about
• remind myself what matters to me the most and how I want to live the rest of my life
• share purpose of life with my beloved wife (Thankfully, my obituary helped enhance trust between?us.)
• convey fellow participants who I learned together, a message of how they meant to me in my life
• reach out to the real provost of UNC : )

In that, here is my obituary.

???Our legendary UNC emeritus, Koichiro Nakamura (MBA Class of 2008), widely known as “Kane” 100, passed away peacefully at his home in bed surrounded by his son and family in Chapel Hill, NC on November 28, 2072. It was as if his soul were guided to follow his beloved wife, Madoka who closed 100 years of her life 4 months ago.?

???72 years ago today, Kane and Madoka got married and became a husband and wife. His best man, Tom and her bridesmaid, Kyoko were their best friends who were a married couple. One day, they set up a dinner introducing Kane and Madoka as they believed they would be so right for each other. That’s how Kane met Madoka for the first time. Kane fell in love at first sight.?

???Later, he fondly looked back over a distance of decades and said, “She brought joy and laughter into my life. We’ve always shared happy and even difficult times together. A wise man said, “Happy Wife, Happy Life!” I had kept such discipline in my mind. And, it was true. The marriage fulfilled our life and changed everything.” He found the purpose to live with and for someone whom he cared the most in his life.

???He went through lots of ups and downs in his life. The lesson learnt from coping with difficult times taught him to never blame others but to embrace the consequences. He also treasured every encounter as it might not come again. He appreciated one's kindness and showed such appreciation by saying “Thank you” every time.

???Kane Jr. Ryutaro says, “Dad fulfilled his life as he had kept three beliefs in his life.”

1. Something to look up to

Amaterasu-ōmikami, the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology - one of the major deities of Shinto

????Kane put faith in Shinto religion(*). That’s what he looked up to. Like beautiful flowers die sooner or later after flowering, a human’s life is subject to decay and it’s destiny as well. Knowing “No mortal escapes death”, he didn’t waste his time and always lived in the moment. Kane Jr. recalls dad saying to him “Be in this moment” all the time.

???When he stood at the crossroads of his and his family life, he always remembered, “Live positively, compassionately, and sincerely.”?

???Kane also learned that the enjoyment of life is determined by the total amount of all manner of experience, good and bad. The phrase shined on Kane’s later life since he recognized that life is NOT about equal amounts of good things and bad things neutralizing each other out. That’s how he built his resilience. He embraced consequences no matter what. He became aware that everything has a purpose even if it is the worst thing in life, death.

(*) A world view that yaoyorozu no kami (eight million deities) reside in shinrabansho (all things in nature, the whole of creation), a kind of animism, took root in Japan's ancient Shinto.

2. Someone to look forward to?

???It was his family who he looked forward to. As the first son of Japanese parents, Toshio and Sumiko Nakamura, Kane was born in Evanston in Illinois on March 17th, 1972. His dad taught him not to let anyone design his life but to create on his own. His mom taught him what it means to give unconditional love to a family. Kane’s two year younger brother, Kenjiro was full of warm hospitality and exemplified one good turn deserves another. His Madoka and Ryutaro were everything to his life as if they meant to be the purpose of his life.?

???It was his friends who he also looked forward to. During 100 years of his life, he met with a countless number of people. It was indeed his talent to be able to interact with everyone without distinction. That is why everyone who knew Kane loved him for his fairness, likable character, and charming smile. All of Kane’s lifelong friends wondered why he hadn't aged. It is still a mystery.

Kane’s Dad in 1999

Kane’s Wife & Son_2008-2018

Kane’s classmates and faculty at the 10 year Reunion on April 15th, 2018

Kane’s classmates at the Stanford LEAD program - October 2019

LEADers - 2019-2021

Kane’s friends in Japan_2015-2018

3. Someone to chase

???It was a better version of himself who he chased through his entire life.?

???In his 20s, work was everything. To build his foundation as a business person, he worked so many hours a day over years. Hard work paid off. All of his clients, 8 of them, offered him a job with attractive conditions, which made him so proud of what had accomplished. He eventually turned down all offers and decided to stay longer where he belonged. It was simply because he felt delighted to work with his colleagues and believed there were still rooms to grow himself there. Through working there right out of college for 10 years, he earned Presidential Awards for the outstanding sales contribution for 5 consecutive years. He was ready to move to the next phase of his career.?

???In his 30s, family was his top priority. However, when his son was born, he was almost broke as he spent all his savings on going to school. Pursuing an MBA degree while doing a recruiting activity and taking good care of his wife during pregnancy in parallel was one of the big challenges he had ever faced. She gave birth at the UNC hospital. And they named a new born baby, Ryutaro, literally translated as “Dragon” and “First son”. Dragon as a totem animal belongs to those who think and act with intense clarity of purpose. Kane and Madoka wished their son to be a man with intense clarity of purpose, which he became.

???In his 40s, Kane worked in 3 countries, China, Japan, and the US. He always sought for a community. In China, he served as an Alumni Interviewer of UNC for 3 years. And, he continued to serve for another 3 years after he returned to Japan. During the 6 years, he has interviewed 65 applicants. Because of his dedication, Kane was selected as the model citizen of the UNC community (link is here). After Kane moved to the U.S., he sought for a place he could feel where he belonged. He found such a community in the Stanford GSB LEAD program. Even after completing a one year intensive program there, his passion towards learning never diminished. He continued to pursue the program for one more year and earned Distinguished Scholars: A designation given to Stanford LEADers who demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning. Through his achievement of earning 4 Intellectual Contribution Awards nominated by peers at the LEAD program, he built confidence to challenge himself to the next phase of his career. He found his dream job in Silicon Valley and got an offer letter from a U.S. based startup. ?

???In his 50s, while he made a tremendous track record in his new job in Silicon Valley, which was to expand the market in Japan where Kane was originally from, he continued to serve as a Course Facilitator and Coach at the Stanford LEAD program as a way to contribute back to his beloved community.?

???In his 60s, Kane started his own company to help young entrepreneurs and business persons, particularly Japanese young people, to thrive in Silicon Valley. He made a perfect balance between his personal time with his wife and dog and professional time. Because he was the owner of the company, he was able to manage his time to spend sufficient time with his first grandson, named Eddie, with Madoka.?

???In his 70s, Kane and Madoka moved to a memorable place, Chapel Hill, NC to spend the rest of their lives. He served as a visiting professor at University of North Carolina, Stanford University, and Rikkyo University (Japan), all of which were his alma mater.?

???In his 80s, Kane made his wish come true to get a hole in one at the Augusta National Golf Club.

???In his 90s, Kane was able to hold a great grandson in his arms and became a god father. Kane named him Benjamin. What he was proud of himself was that he could listen, speak, write, walk, eat, bath, sleep all by himself just as his wife did. He had never forgotten to inspire himself to be a better version of himself who he chased through his entire life.?

???Such a way of life inspired and impacted on many people’s lives. Before realizing it, people call Kane, the legendary Tarheel.

In this place that bears your name, we will pause and point to you, thanking you for the lifelong assistance. Thank you, Kane.

Yours at Carolina, Provost

2 cents to Galvanizers

“If you talk about it, it’s a dream, if you envision it, it’s possible, but if you schedule it, it’s real.”??(by a wise man)

As I committed to my wife, friends, and even the real provost, I got to schedule it to make it real.

Wishing you the best of luck on finding your own meaning in life through the LEAD program.

Welcome on board, Galvanizers!