Reflections on Stuff That Aged Well: Kaizen Leadership and The Resilient Leader
- Winslow Swart
- Aug 26
- 4 min read
Several years after having pushed the boundaries and tested the limits of what corporate executives and leaders were willing to accept and embrace, with bleeding edge approaches and ideas within the people and culture development space, I wrote a book about some of it.
Fifteen years ago, I published the book that shared some of the core concepts I had developed as leadership development curriculum and had been delivering across industries regionally and globally. What was crazy about it was that I was teaching the some of the core ideas and practices that were required for attaining the highest levels of mastery within authentic Japanese martial arts disciplines with aspiring leaders and corporate executives as part of their professional development journey. What was even crazier is that the programs were successful.
In the book, The Resilient Leader, I share lessons forged in the dojos in Japan and tested in global boardrooms and in everyday life about how resilience, when cultivated with discipline and awareness, evolves into mastery. These distinctions in mastery are what separate leaders who merely cope from those who truly elevate their teams, organizations, and communities.
Resilience has become a buzzword in business. But too often, it’s reduced to “grit” or “bouncing back.” In reality, resilience is only the doorway. What comes after—the real transformation—is mastery.
After having helped thousands of people in organizational development workshops and in the dojo achieve epic stuff in their lives, and before I go on, I hope this article does not come off as an attempt to pontificate or self-promote, but more serves as a reminder to myself and for others as to the importance of reconnecting to the core attributes that we sometimes lose sight of while in our vigorous pursuits of what’s next.
As I discovered after decades of training, study, and dedication to the learning and disseminating of these principles of personal mastery is that the secret is - there is no secret. We all know this stuff on the most intrinsic levels. At intervals, we just need reminders. The other piece is that leadership development is, at its very core, personal development, therefore the importance of the distinctions of personal mastery and corresponding disciplines as a path of continuous learning and improvement.
The Integration of Kaizen and Budo
At its core, The Resilient Leader integrates Kaizen—the philosophy of continuous improvement—with the inner teachings of Budo (martial arts like Kenseido and Kendo). Kaizen brings the rigor of process, while Budo brings the spirit: presence, awareness, and character under pressure.
When combined, they form a framework that equips leaders to transform challenges into opportunities with clarity, courage, and calm.
Distinctions in Mastery
Here are some of the central distinctions that unlock resilience at the level of mastery (the book goes into depth of each along with some edutaining storytelling):
Kokoro (Heart, Mind, Character): True strength comes from within. Kokoro is the inner resource—heart, soul, and essence—that allows leaders to stay connected to their values and lead authentically, even under duress.
Zanshin (Intentional & Energetic Throughput/Continuous Awareness): The ability to stay fully present after an action, projecting awareness into what comes next. In leadership, this means not just hitting a goal but sustaining focus, momentum, and follow-through.
Seishin (Spirit/Presence/Being): The capacity to change the temperature in the room. Seishin is about leading from a state of being, not just doing—bringing courage (Konjo) to break through barriers and inspire others.
En Zam Moku (Vision with Depth): The Samurai art of seeing the distant mountain and the ground at your feet at the same time. For leaders, it means balancing strategic vision with operational detail—seeing both the forest and the trees.
Fudoshin (Immovable Mind): The calm in the eye of the storm. Fudoshin is the inner stillness that allows leaders to face chaos and conflict without being consumed by fear, stress, or distraction.
Kokoro-Zashi (Living Your Values): The articulation of Kokoro into action—will, aim, and intention. This is leadership anchored in values that show up in every decision, every day.
Kensho (Insight/Wellness): The Kaizen of self—continuous improvement in wellness, awareness, and balance so that leadership is sustainable.
Ketsugo (Integration): The weaving together of all distinctions into a whole, enabling leaders to act with harmony, balance, and integration across their personal and professional lives.
Why These Distinctions Matter Today
In an age of disruption—AI, economic uncertainty, cultural shifts—the leader’s role is not only to manage complexity but to embody clarity, presence, and vision.
The ideas shared in The Resilient Leader are not merely just a set of ideas; it’s a practicum. Each distinction is paired with stories—from sensei’s in Japan, from dojo experience, from corporate leaders, and from personal life—that illustrate how mastery is lived, not just learned.
The journey is about moving from victim to warrior, and from warrior to sage. It’s about cultivating the presence, vision, and courage to not just survive the storms of leadership, but to thrive because of them.
This little book was written 15 years ago and it barley scratches the surface.
