Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Definitions

Glossary terms, history, people and definitions about Lean and Six Sigma

Kazuo Inamori

Kauzo Inamori (30 January 1932 – 24 August 2022) is one of the most successful business owners in Japanese business history. In April 1959, he established Kyoto Ceramic Co., Ltd. (now Kyocera Corporation), where he served as president and chairman until 1997 and Chairman Emeritus until 2005. He founded KDDI (telecom) in 1984.

The Japanese government asked him to come out of retirement to help save Japan Airlines (JAL). He became president while JAL was under bankruptcy protection in early 2010. He restructured the company, eventually allowing them to re-list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in November 2012.

He started a private management school called Seiwajyuku in 1983 to learn about his management philosophy to assist the development of small and mid-size business owners. The group had 14,940 members around the world when he decided to dissolve the organization due to his health at the end of 2019.

He developed the 12 Management Principles that he taught at Seiwajyuku and reiterated within his journals and international workshops.

  1. Clearly state the purpose and mission of your business.
    • Business must serve society and contribute to people’s well-being.
  2. Set specific goals.
    • Ambitious, concrete goals guide and energize your team.
  3. Keep a passionate desire in your heart.
    • Passion fuels persistence and overcomes adversity.
  4. Strive harder than anyone else.
    • Diligence and effort are the keys to success.
  5. Maximize revenues and minimize expenses.
    • Sound business fundamentals ensure sustainability.
  6. Pricing is management.
    • Determine pricing based on value, not just market or cost.
  7. Success is determined by willpower.
    • Strong will and determination shape destiny.
  8. Possess a fighting spirit.
    • Resilience and a warrior’s mindset help confront difficulties.
  9. Face every challenge with courage.
    • Problems are opportunities for growth.
  10. Always be creative in your work.
    • Innovation sustains and strengthens the business.
  11. Be kind and sincere.
    • Ethical leadership fosters trust and unity.
  12. Always be cheerful and positive.
    • A positive attitude improves morale and productivity.

These principles combine Eastern philosophical values, such as sincerity and humility, with practical business acumen. They reflect his belief that “the right way to manage a company is the right way as a human being.”

Seiwajyuku published a quarterly journal (called SeiwaJyuku Journal) with 19 volumes from January 2012 to December 2017. The 19 volumes were published quarterly from Jan 2012 to Dec 2017.

  1. Why do we need Philosophy in management? (Jan 2012)
  2. The 12 Management Principles (Apr 2012)
  3. Four Guiding Principles for Successful Management (July 2012)
  4. Leading Growth in People and Business: On the True Factors of JAL’s Restructuring and the Regeneration of the Japanese Economy (Oct 2012)
  5. The Essence of Business Management: Motivate Employees (Jan 2013)
  6. Philosophy is the Source of Management (May 2013)
  7. Earning Respect and Sympathy from Your Employees (Oct 2013)
  8. Practice the Six Endeavors (Feb 2014)
  9. Why and How Should We Learn at Seiwajyuku? (June 2014)
  10. What We Think Becomes Reality (Nov 2014)
  11. Why Do Businesses Need High Profits? (Mar 2015)
  12. On Piloting Your Business (July 2015)
  13. How to Learn at Seiwajyuku: Incorporating the Philosophy into Your Very Being (Nov 2015)
  14. Why Are We Alive? Life as a dojo for refining one’s soul (Apr 2016)
  15. Raising People Up (Sept 2016)
  16. How Leaders Achieve Their Goals (Dec 2016)
  17. Innovation in Business: Examples of New Products at Kyocera (May 2017)
  18. Management by the Numbers (Oct 2017)
  19. How Dr. Inamori Made Kyocera Global (Dec 2017)

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