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“There is no secret ingredient or hidden formula responsible for the success of the best Japanese companies,” said Morita. “We all learn by imitating, as children, as students, as novices in the world of business. And then we grow up and learn to blend our innate abilities with the rules or principles we have learned.”

Whether it was his innate abilities or the rules he had learned, Morita was able to translate that into not only his own success, but also Japan’s. He helped put his country back on the map, while building his own reputation across the world. Indeed, in 1998, a Harris survey revealed that Sony was ranked the number one brand name by American consumers, ahead of Coca-Cola and General Electric. How did he do it?

Observation: Morita hated market research. Instead, he believed in the power of simple observation. What were people out on the streets doing? What were they wearing? What were they listening to? How could Sony create something that would improve their experience? That was how Morita came up with his creative and innovative product ideas, from practical inspection and intuition.

Marketing: Morita wanted his company to be a player on the global stage, and he marketed it accordingly. From creating a business name that would be easy to remember in every language, to ensuring his products had consistent names across the board, Morita strove to create a strong global corporation.

Management: “The key factor in industry is creativity,” said Morita. “There are three creativities: creativity in technology, in product planning, and in marketing. To have any one of these without the others is self defeating in business.” According to Morita, it was management’s main responsibility to inspire this creativity. He did this by treating his staff as equals, providing challenging work, and creating a familial and safe working environment.

Fearless: When it came to both his home and work lives, Morita flew in the face of thousands of years of Japanese tradition. He risked everything on a small startup with a friend. He even dared to challenge the global superpower, America. When it came to his beliefs, Morita was never afraid to speak his mind.

Innovation: At Sony, roughly six percent of sales has always been invested back into research and development. Morita wanted his company to always be at the cutting edge of the industry. Even where that meant a market had not yet been established, Morita was willing to take the risk that the demand was out there, and that he would find it.

When Morita was in his 60s, he took up wind surfing and scuba diving in the summer, and skiing in the winter. Even as he approached the end of his career, Morita proved to be as vibrant as ever. It was by maintaining this high level of energy and curiosity that Morita was able to create one of the most dominant corporate superpowers in the world today.

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