IKIGAI LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP

Helping Leaders Reconnect with Purpose, Responsibility and Meaning

Leadership today often focuses on strategy, performance and results.

But many leaders quietly wrestle with deeper questions:

Does my role truly matter?
Am I helping my team thrive?

In this interactive leadership workshop, Japanologist and author Nicholas Kemp introduces leaders to the Japanese concept of Ikigai and explores how meaning, responsibility and contribution shape leadership.

Drawing on Japanese psychological research and Nicholas’s experience living in Japan for over a decade, the session invites leaders to reflect on the roles they play in the lives of others and the deeper impact of their leadership.

The Workshop Experience

This session combines cultural insight, leadership reflection and facilitated discussion.

Participants explore:

• The authentic psychological meaning of Ikigai in Japanese culture
• The Ikigai needs — a framework for understanding how meaning, contribution and belonging shape intrinsic leadership and workplace harmony
• The Japanese concept of Rolefulness and its relevance for leadership
• How leaders shape meaning, responsibility and belonging within organisations

The result is a leadership conversation that moves beyond motivation and into reflection, responsibility and meaning.

The Ikigai Workplace Needs

NICHOLAS KEMP

Nicholas Kemp is an author, speaker and Japanologist who lived in Japan for more than a decade. His work explores Japanese psychological concepts such as Ikigai, Rolefulness and Ibasho, and how these ideas can help leaders and organisations rethink meaning, responsibility and belonging at work.

Nicholas is the author of several books exploring Japanese wisdom and meaningful living, including Ikigai-Kan: Feel a Life Worth Living, Ikigai at Work, and Rolefulness: A Guide to Purposeful Living, co-authored with Japanese psychologist Professor Daiki Kato.

Through his writing and speaking, Nicholas helps translate Japanese psychological insights for Western audiences, offering a deeper understanding of how purpose, contribution and human connection shape both leadership and organisational culture.

Nicholas regularly works with international organisations seeking new perspectives on leadership, engagement and meaningful work, bringing Japanese wisdom to audiences across Australia, Japan, Europe and the United States.