The Virtual Leader

”““While the pandemic is still redefining what modern working space looks like, this is the time to care for—and trust—the digital employee experience … Takako shares her best practices for how to be a successful virtual leader. From the workplace setup to meeting logistics to mental health, Takako gives you a total package to excel in this new world.”” —Alex Chiang, Principal Software Engineering Manager, Microsoft “”The Virtual Leader is mandatory reading for any remote leader seeking to evolve their leadership style. Based on real-world experience and proven methods, the book is full of practical and actionable advice and strategies for remote leadership.“” —Michael Vermillion, Senior Managing Director, Global Business Intelligence, J.D. Power ““Get in-depth insights from an experienced facilitator of 24⁄7 engagements with colleagues dispersed across time zones, countries, and continents. The Virtual Leader provides hope and a guidebook on how to thrive in the midst of the most significant work development of our time.”” —Diane Chen, former Senior Global Brand Design Manager, Procter & Gamble, and former Creative Director, Worldwide Brand Experience, Lenovo ““Building a great remote culture is critical to the success of all remote teams. Takako’s insights in this space and her overall expertise in managing remote teams are beneficial to all managers making the transition.”” —Andy Tryba, CEO, Gigster “”The Virtual Leader serves as a ‘best practices’ reference for navigating the virtual hybrid environment in our professional, personal, academic, and social lives … Takako’s personal anecdotes give the reader unique insights and lessons learned, as she has developed a framework and a leadership style that can successfully motivate and empower virtual and decentralized teams.“” —Nicky Agahari, HealthTech Fellow, Harvard Medical School ““Takako, the author of The Virtual Leader, has managed remote work from an early stage across national borders. The experience and knowledge she gained led her to develop the virtual workplace techniques she covers in the book, which will be of great value to managers everywhere.”” —Akihiko Morisawa, President and CEO, The Morisawa Inc.“

Takako Hirata is Head of International Business Development at ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. She is building an online technology-focused media hub called InTech Media and is a Board Member of Mentholatum, working at the frontier of healthcare and technology. Previously, she was at Proctor & Gamble, where she oversaw major product lines such as Febreze, before becoming a Marketing Design Manager and leading branding strategy in P&G’s US and China markets. She later took on a role as Director of Brand Strategy at Aeon. Currently, she is an Executive MBA candidate at UCLA-NUS and the only Japanese certificate holder of the MIT-Harvard Medical School Healthcare Innovation Bootcamp. She lives in Tokyo, Japan. She leads everywhere.