Lessons in Leadership: Yuriko Koike, Former Cabinet Minister, Japan.(Culture; WOMEN & LEADERSHIP)

Byline: Yuriko Koike

There aren't many female role models, not in Japan

I faced a big challenge as environment minister. Global warming is an important issue, but it's also abstract. My way of doing things [as a leader] is to break down that good cause into a specific goal. I told people that we needed to save energy and that we were going to do it by turning down the air conditioning in summer and the heater in winter. So that it wouldn't become unbearable, we relaxed the traditional strict requirements for officewear. That's how Cool Biz was born. The reaction was fantastic. I realized then that it's about getting people to participate, to share a feeling that is immediate in their own lives.

As a leader, you need to make clear what you stand for, where you are heading and what you are trying to achieve and by when. I was able to accomplish a major job with a limited budget with this approach--that is, to reduce a huge problem to the level where ordinary people work every day. Having a shared goal and a sense that we are in this together enhances people's motivation.

Oddly enough, that harked back to an experience I had as a college student in Cairo. I didn't have much in the way of resources back then, so I had to find some part-time work. I ended up working as a tour guide. I would take Japanese tourists to see the sights. I realized that I needed to show them the sights in a way that inspired them, made them realize they had seen something.

When I became defense minister, I was the first woman to hold the job. I faced several big tasks that included reaffirming our ...