about
Our Story
Leadership Design Lab Asia was founded on a simple conviction:
Leaders are not born. They are built by design.
Our philosophy begins with a fundamental belief: leadership starts with who a leader chooses to be. Inspired by Confucius’s teaching 為政以德 — to lead through moral character — our seal, 德為領先, reflects the idea that integrity is the foundation of leadership. Before systems, tools, or frameworks, leadership begins with character.
From that foundation, leadership can be intentionally developed. With the right design, disciplined practice, and supportive environment, anyone willing to grow can strengthen how they lead. Leadership is not reserved for a few; it is built through conscious development over time.
Rooted in Asia, where humility, respect, and moral responsibility have long shaped leadership thinking, we combine this heritage with modern leadership design to create development experiences that are practical, human, and future ready.
Because leadership is not an accident or a single moment of achievement.
It is a system to design, a craft to practice, and a way of living and leading every day.
VISION
Let curiosity drive growth. Not instruction.
We envision self-learning ecosystems where learning is woven into daily work, turning curiosity and reflection into continuous growth. In this world, individuals and organizations adapt, learn, and evolve from within.
MISSION
Lead with integrity. Grow by Design.
We help leaders use frameworks as guidance—not instruction—to turn insight into practice, practice into habit, and habit into culture. Our work builds self-learning ecosystems where leadership capability grows from within.
about
Who is Shun Kaneko?
I didn't start in HR.
My career began in sales and marketing — where I learned how organizations actually move through performance pressure and execution. An early project showed me that small shifts in mindset and communication could change results without changing people. That led me into HR, and eventually into leadership development at Mercedes-Benz, Accenture, Baker McKenzie, and Amazon.
At Amazon APAC, I led leadership development across 6 countries — facilitating over 250 sessions for more than 5,000 leaders from 19 countries.
I founded Leadership Design Lab Asia on one belief: leaders are not born. They are built by design.
I work at one specific intersection: where Japanese professionals meet international work environments.
I am Japanese. Born and raised. I have navigated those international rooms myself — where the unwritten rules were never explained, where working harder than anyone still left me invisible. That experience is not just my background. It is the foundation of how I work.
I work with two groups:
Individuals — Japanese professionals in multinational companies who are high performers but not being seen as one in the rooms that matter most.
Organizations — Companies with Japanese professionals in their teams or operating in Japanese business environments, who want to strengthen how those professionals lead, perform, and are seen.
Both need the same thing: leadership that is intentional, practical, and built for the specific reality of Japanese professionals in international environments.
If that resonates, I'd like to talk.
services
Leadership Design Lab Asia is now live.
Organizations
The Leadership Lab Series delivers practical half-day and full-day workshops on trust, team performance, and self-leadership — designed for organizations with Japanese professionals in their teams or operating in Japanese business environments across Asia.
Individuals
The Japanese Professional Enhancement Program is a 90-day 1:1 coaching program for Japanese professionals in multinational companies who are high performers but feel invisible in the rooms that matter most.
All programs are delivered in English and Japanese across Singapore, Japan, and Asia.
Be the first to know
Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know when we launch!