Kazuo Inamori

2.81244 learners

In *IKIKATA* (The Way of Living), legendary Japanese entrepreneur Kazuo Inamori shares the life and business philosophies that turned his tiny startup Kyocera into a global powerhouse and led him to co-found KDDI, one of Japan’s top telecom firms. Drawing from his rags-to-riches journey—from battling tuberculosis as a teen to surviving a failing factory early in his career—Inamori distills timeless lessons: the power of an intense, burning desire to turn the impossible into reality, the importance of making decisions based on simple, universal moral principles like integrity and fairness, and the transformative impact of altruism in both life and business. He introduces his famous 'Life Equation' (outcome = mindset × passion × ability) and the 'Six Refinements' daily practices to cultivate a strong, virtuous character. Inamori also explores how the law of cause and effect can alter predetermined fate, urging readers to view life as a journey to refine their soul. Packed with personal anecdotes and actionable wisdom, this book is a guide to building a meaningful life and successful career rooted in purpose and integrity.

Kazuo Inamori

4.81148 learners

Born from Kazuo Inamori’s scrappy journey building Kyocera from the ground up, Amoeba Management is a revolutionary people-first business system that transforms large, unwieldy companies into agile, interconnected teams—modeled after the adaptable amoeba organism. When Inamori, a business novice, faced burnout from micromanaging his growing firm and clashed with employees demanding job security, he realized sustainable success hinges on uniting people around a shared purpose and empowering small, self-managed units. Each "amoeba" operates as an independent profit center, using a straightforward Unit Time Calculation Sheet to track sales, costs, and hourly value. Rooted in the core principle of "What is the right thing to do as a human being?", this system has three core goals: linking departmental accounting directly to market demands, nurturing future leaders with owner mindsets, and enabling full employee participation to eliminate labor-management conflicts. By fostering radical transparency, mutual trust, and a family-like corporate culture, Amoeba Management turned Kyocera into a global powerhouse, proving ordinary businesses can achieve extraordinary results when every team member feels invested in success.

Kazuo Inamori

3.71087 learners

In *How to Work*, legendary entrepreneur Kazuo Inamori shares hard-won wisdom from transforming a failing ceramic firm into global giant Kyocera. He upends the common belief that work is just a paycheck, framing it as a profound spiritual practice to refine character and elevate mindset. Through vivid anecdotes—from sleeping with a ceramic pipe to perfect it, to defying skeptics to launch a telecom business—Inamori breaks down actionable principles: learn to love unfulfilling work by diving into its details, set audacious goals and pursue them with relentless effort, embrace radical perfectionism, and dare to take uncharted paths. He also introduces his iconic life equation: Success = Mindset × Passion × Ability, emphasizing that a positive, selfless mindset is the most critical factor. Whether you’re a young professional or seasoned leader, this book shows how daily dedication can transform your career and life.