The Toyota Leaders

A New York Post Required Read

The Toyota Leaders:

An Executive Guide

By Masaaki Sato

Translated by Justin Bonsey
Non-Fiction / Business
Hardcover, 336 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches
978-1-934287-23-1
U.S.$19.95 / CAN$22.95

Buy this book.

While there are many books on Toyota, they have tended to focus on “Just In Time” and other facets of the company’s famously efficient floor operations and how they might be transposed to American manufacturing, with less attention paid to Toyota’s overall strategic vision. This book corrects that deficit by approaching the company from a more “white collar” angle.

Author Masaaki Sato, Japan’s premier auto-industry expert, brilliantly presents his case that Toyota’s strengths, including efficiency on the floor, cannot be understood or emulated outside the context of tradition—not Japan’s, but Toyota’s own. Inventor and Toyota Group founder Sakichi Toyoda’s “Precepts” have served as the backbone of the carmaker’s executive culture since its inception and, even today, guide decision-making at the top echelons.

A thorough study of the individuals who shaped a once-derided manufacturer into a preeminent worldwide producer, The Toyota Leaders: An Executive Guide is a must-read for anyone in a management role, whether or not in the auto industry.

“Mr. Sato’s book sensibly lays out that Toyota is not just a strong manufacturer, but a company that has made leaps and bounds thanks to a succession of capable and visionary leaders. Toyota has a very strong culture, and the company has been a great teacher for GE. The lesson that the author extracts is that staying true to the spirit of a founding legacy can help pave the way to sustained growth.”
—Jeff Immelt, CEO, General Electric

Masaaki SatoMasaaki Sato simply has no peer when it comes to reporting on the Japanese auto industry, his prominence dating back to the 1980s when he was on the auto beat for Nikkei (the Japanese Wall Street Journal). He is the author of highly regarded histories, including one on the early days of home video technology (VHS vs. Betamax) that has been adapted to the big screen. His magnum opus is The House of Toyota, on which The Toyota Leaders builds specifically for an overseas audience.

Also by Masaaki Sato:
The Honda Myth: The Genius and His Wake.