The Three Values That Have Never Left Me

Kotaro Umeda has lived in four countries, played professional soccer on three continents, written five books in three languages, and spoken to thousands of people across corporate boardrooms, university campuses, and community centers.

Through all of it, three values have remained constant: discipline, courage, and faith.

He first wrote them down as a high school freshman in a goal-setting class, after a teacher told him his dream of becoming a Division I athlete was unrealistic. Rather than erase the goal, Kotaro kept it — and spent the next decade proving that the most important leadership skill is the ability to believe in your direction when no one else does.

Those three values form the foundation of every keynote Kotaro delivers today, whether he is speaking to a Fortune 500 company, a nonprofit, or a room full of student athletes who are just beginning to figure out who they are and what they stand for.