21: Ross Rowbury, Former President of Edelman Japan

Ross Rowbury, Former President of Edelman Japan, celebrated his 40th anniversary since first arriving in Japan as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. Mr. Rowbury began his career in the finance sector in banking and securities before moving on to PR roles specializing in finances. With several years of leadership experience in foreign financial firms, Mr. Rowbury made a smooth transition into PR where he embraced the creative and engagement aspect of the industry.

When the President of Edelman, the largest foreign PR firm in Japan with a rapidly growing team, Mr. Rowbury strived for strong communication and engagement with his staff, but took a conscious step back when necessary. He explains, “I think, the key thing is that the leader needs to be able to identify where those turning points or tipping points [of change] are so that [you] don't become a bottleneck in that process.” Delegation also plays a large part in managing such a large team. To better lead his 80 employees, Mr. Rowbury planned on welcoming a new COO to take on much of the operational decisions.

On the changing landscape of PR and modern audiences, Mr. Rowbury says ”you have to create a very strong narrative or storyline that makes them understand why it’s relevant or important to them, or they’re not going to stay there with you.” To make this possible, Edelman hires a diverse team of specialists who are talented planners and creatives, but do not necessarily “speak the same language” and work at various speeds. Mr. Rowbury tries to find the common ground between such differences through repeated discussions. He explains, “through a process of really intense discussions… over time, you are unable to get to a point where those three different definitions of product manager have actually melded into something that's unique for us. And that's where we want to be.”

In an ever-evolving world, Mr. Rowbury was aware of the younger employees’ need for transparency and involvement in decision-making processes to have more trust in leadership. Through his regular lunch meetings with junior staff, Mr. Rowbury learned of the stress younger generations and implemented a wellness day to promote better mental health.

To foster creativity in a mistake-free culture like Japan, Mr. Rowbury explains, “these days a relatively small mistake can actually result in quite a significant impact to the business so I'm not quite sure…[if] it's okay to go out and make mistakes, is exactly the right message. I think it needs to be refined a little bit more, with some parameters around what sort of mistake is okay to make and what is not.” Additionally, Mr. Rowbury explained that being able to admit to one’s mistake, recognize one’s weaknesses and constantly learn, are all essential factors in adapting to such a rapidly changing society.

Mr. Rowbury advises newcomers to Japan to remember the three Ps – patience, persistence, and politeness - something he was first told as a new arrival himself. He explains that in Japan, everything takes more time and money, but when done, the end result is better than anywhere else. Mr. Rowbury also encourages newcomers to not be afraid of making the ask, but maintaining politeness by using phrases like onegaishimasu (please) and soudan ga arimasu (I would like to consult you).