Keys to Aging Gracefully

As we celebrate our 235th anniversary, we reflect upon the ways our business has evolved and share some of the wisdom we’ve gained along the way.

Very few people can claim to have it all through every stage of life. The same holds true in the corporate world - not all businesses can remain successful over the course of their history. It takes an honest and pragmatic approach to be able to evolve to meet the needs of your customers. Throughout Takeda’s history, we’ve been true to our roots, while remaining open to new approaches—and we’d like to think we’ve done it with grace.

Here are the keys for a business to age gracefully:

Innovate, innovate, innovate

One should always strive to further their personal growth – and businesses should never be satisfied with the same old thing, either; whether it is your product offering, the way you serve patients, the way your teams collaborate with one another or the way you help communities in need around the world. At Takeda, we are always taking strides to innovate in those key areas and continue to develop processes and products that function more effectively.

Remember who you are

Being comfortable in your own skin and sticking to your principles will only benefit you. We operate under a corporate philosophy that we call "Takeda-ism," and it guides our decision-making and informs our culture. It’s all about conducting business with integrity—fairness, honesty, and perseverance—and we owe our success to theses underlying values. Staying true to your ethics will always pay off.

Look in the mirror

Sometimes it’s necessary to look yourself in the eye and face harsh truths. Challenging ourselves to grow, to strengthen our capabilities and to serve patients better has always been important to us. Sometimes we have to take a step back and say, "This isn't working; we need to fix it." Other times, we say, "This is really working in this part of the world. Let's try it in other places." Being honest about who we are as a company has not only helped us grow stronger over the years but has also given us the ability to make better decisions for our business.

Make good friends

Being a good partner and choosing good partners are so important not only to long-term personal growth, but also our growth as a company. We have the ability to serve more patients because of our partners. Research organizations, universities, advocacy organizations, non-profits—these are just some of the partnerships we've formed over the years. We would not be to evolve as a company without them.

It's all about the people

At the end of the day, we are people serving people. At Takeda, the patient, the customer, and our employees are always at the center of what we do, because people come first. We never forget that.