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Tokugawa Ieyasu: Know when to prepare – and when to act

Tokugawa Ieyasu: Know when to prepare – and when to act

In the third episode of History's Greatest Leaders, entrepreneur and author Mike Soutar and historian Christopher Harding discuss the leadership style of 16th-century Japanese unifier Tokugawa Ieyasu

Mike Soutar

Published: August 3, 2026 at 4:26 PM

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Samurai and statesman Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the dynasty that unified Japan in the early 16th century. His house ruled the country for more than 250 years. He’s a towering figure from the nation’s history – a man capable of ruthless, decisive action, but who at other moments actively sought to avoid conflict and waited for his enemies to make mistakes.

In this episode, Christopher Harding – senior lecturer in Asian history at the University of Edinburgh, and author of books including A Short History of Japan – guides Mike Soutar through the apparent contradictions of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s story, and reveals the lessons that this feudal lord can impart for the 21st century.

Watch below or listen to the full interview, ad-free:

For more on the life and legacy of Tokugawa, don’t miss our curated collection of articles, podcasts and videos

Authors

Mike SoutarEntrepreneur and author

Mike Soutar is an entrepreneur and author of Next Gen CEO, and advisor on BBC One’s The Apprentice