“You are a KAIZEN™ guy”: Masaaki Imai’s legacy through the eyes of Pierluigi Tosato
When a master like Masaaki Imai looks you in the eye and says, “You are a KAIZEN™ guy”, it’s not a compliment—it’s a calling. Pierluigi Tosato, now CEO of Segafredo Zanetti Group, turned those words into a guiding principle. A seasoned executive with a strong international background in the food industry, Tosato explores in his book Samurai Manager how values like discipline, loyalty, and Continuous Improvement can become powerful drivers of sustainable leadership.
In this interview he shares his memories on his first encounter with Masaaki Imai and the deep impact the father of KAIZEN™ and founder of Kaizen Institute left on him—as a leader and as a person.
Can you recall the first time you met Masaaki Imai?
Yes. I met Masaaki Imai in 2014 during a visit of Toyota’s plants in Japan. I was already deeply familiar with his thinking—his books were more than theory to me; they were tools for transformation. But meeting him in person was different. I saw a man who didn’t need to prove anything. He simply was grounded, present and sharp. He embodied everything I believe a leader should be: strength, deep clarity, and humility that comes from mastery.
What is your favorite memory of Masaaki Imai?
It’s not one moment—it’s his energy. I remember being at gemba with him. Something made him unique: he didn’t answer questions. He put questions that forced you to wake up. That’s something I’ve always done in my leadership too—ask the right question, disturb the comfort zone.
Could you share some stories from Masaaki Imai’s visit to your plant?
He never visited my plants, but during our time in Japan, we spoke about them. What impressed me most was how much he listened. One evening, I asked him: “How did you manage to spread a Japanese term worldwide?” He smiled and said: “You don’t spread ideas. You live them. People follow coherence.” That stayed with me. I’m not here to sell ideas—I’m here to embody them.
What stayed with you most about Masaaki Imai as a person?
He was a master. Not in the academic sense—in the ancient sense. Like a samurai of thought. Quiet, rigorous, deeply human. I never saw him trying to dominate a conversation. Yet when he spoke, the room paused. He didn’t manage people. He inspired transformation. That’s how I try to lead too—not by control, but by example.
Who is Masaaki Imai to you?
He’s a guide. A mirror. A symbol of what leadership could be if stripped of ego. In a world obsessed with noise, he was silence. In a world chasing performance, he practiced discipline. I see him as a fellow traveler on the same path I’ve chosen not the path of the system, but the path of truth.
How would you describe KAIZEN™ to someone who has never heard of it?
KAIZEN™ is not a tool—it’s a quiet revolution. It’s about breaking free from complacency, from bureaucracy, from the illusion of perfection. I’ve never been a system manager. I don’t wait for charts to tell me the truth. I go. I see. I ask. That’s KAIZEN™: living in contact with reality, refusing stagnation, choosing awareness over illusion.
What is the biggest lesson you learned from Masaaki Imai?
One day, I asked him: “Who really applies KAIZEN™ in the Western world?” He looked at me and answered—calmly, but directly: “No one.” That moment stayed with me. I realized KAIZEN™ is not just a method. It’s an ancient philosophy. A way of living. And Massaki Imai confirmed it—he told me its roots go back centuries, to the time of the samurai. That’s when I understood: KAIZEN™ is not about efficiency. It’s about character. And that’s exactly how I try to lead—not through formulas, but through discipline and spirit.
How do you apply KAIZEN™ in your personal life?
KAIZEN™ is how I live. I reflect every day. I question every pattern. I don’t separate life and work—both are arenas for growth. I observe myself like I observe an organization. I ask: Where am I wasting energy? Where can I evolve? And I adjust. Constantly. It’s not discipline—it’s self-respect. That’s what KAIZEN™ really is.
What would you say to young leaders about KAIZEN™?
I would tell them what Masaaki Imai once made me understand: KAIZEN™ is not just a productivity model. It’s a warrior’s mindset. It comes from a deeper place—where values matter more than tools. Years after our first meeting, he looked at me and said, smiling: “You are a KAIZEN™ guy.” It was a simple phrase, but it meant everything. It wasn’t a title—it was a recognition. That I had chosen a path of daily discipline, of constant questioning, of transformation. That’s the message I pass on: don’t aim to manage systems. Aim to awaken people.
If you had one word to summarize Masaaki Imai’s philosophy, what would it be?
Awakening. He awakened something in me—and in many others—by reminding us that KAIZEN™ is not modern. It’s ancient. It’s not just about efficiency or Continuous Improvement. It’s about the courage to see the truth and act with honor. KAIZEN™, as I came to understand through Masaaki Imai, is rooted in the same values as bushido: discipline, loyalty, courage, humility, and the acceptance of death—not just physical death, but the death of ego. That’s the path I’ve walked throughout my career. Not as a system manager, but as someone who follows the bushido way. And I’m proud to carry that legacy. Because, in his words—I became “the KAIZEN™ guy.” Not because I obeyed the system. But because I walked the path.
