20/07/2025
This Japanese CEO cut his own salary, rode the bus, and removed his office door—just to protect his employees
When financial crisis hit Japan Airlines, CEO Haruka Nishimatsu didn’t do what most corporate leaders might. He didn’t lay off staff, slash benefits, or hide behind a boardroom door. Instead, he did something radical in today’s corporate world: he cut his own salary, to the point that he was earning less than some of the pilots who worked under him. And he didn’t stop there he rode the city bus to work, ate in the same cafeteria as his employees, and even removed his office door so anyone, at any time, could come in and speak to him directly.
Nishimatsu believed leadership wasn’t about luxury or hierarchy it was about trust, responsibility, and shared sacrifice. During one of the airline’s most financially stressful periods, while CEOs in other industries were clinging to golden parachutes and private jets, he was doubling down on honesty, humility, and accessibility. He led not from above, but shoulder to shoulder with the people whose jobs and livelihoods he chose to protect.
His actions became a symbol of what real leadership looks like especially when times are tough. It's not the title on your door, or in his case, the absence of one. It's about showing your team that their well-being comes first. And the world could use a lot more Haruka Nishimatsus right now.
Sources: Japan Airlines Leadership Archives, Harvard Business Review Case Study, NHK News Interviews
