New Challenge
The challenge that has continued to be mine, without crossing into the new year, is the ability to collaborate with people I cannot understand and work towards a common goal.
Throughout my life, I’ve been involved in various organizations and have consistently found myself in leadership positions. It started with being the head of the broadcasting committee in elementary school, then progressed to class representative, president of some committee at school, captain, manager, world championship organizer, and now I am the site manager for a construction project.
Fundamentally, I have lived by the belief Fundamentally, I have lived by the belief in the Theory of Innate Goodness and that everyone can understand each other and collaborate. This has been my core principle in team building as well. However, now this belief no longer holds. Although I’ve worked with people from other countries before, leading a team over a long period—especially in a field that is not my area of expertise—has proven to be a massive challenge. It’s easy to imagine how an organization becomes unstable when someone without knowledge or experience is thrust into a leadership role. Naturally, there will be people who feel dissatisfied. After 40 years in the industry, if a layperson suddenly becomes the leader, it’s clear that people wouldn’t want to listen, and they would likely become upset when their mistakes are pointed out. Understanding all of this, it is, to be honest, very difficult to communicate in a language that is not my first language.
Interestingly, I’ve encountered similar challenges not only in my work but also in my family relationships and my association work. I can’t help but feel that this is something I need to overcome at this stage in my life.
In the midst of this, I learned a valuable perspective from Chika-chan, the captain of the world campion. There was a reason why a team that appeared disjointed from the outside was able to reach the top. It was something completely different from my organizational theory, and it’s an element that I need to learn at this point in my life.
New challenges don’t always go smoothly. Still, I feel like if I keep pushing through, I might be able to grasp something. I am experimenting and trying new things every day, but struggling is painful. What I can do now is face my emotions. There are times when I get frustrated, but I first calm myself down internally. I take a deep breath and respond. Whether it’s good or bad, I tend to react quickly. So, when my emotions are triggered, it’s easy for me to let that show immediately. Now, I focus on calming myself first before taking any action. Even if I receive an email that makes me upset, I write a reply, read it over, and rewrite it. I initially write it out to help control my emotions, but if the message directly attacks the other person, I rewrite it. This applies whether it’s in Japanese or English.
Dealing with things that don’t go well, things I don’t understand, or the uncertainty of the future—it’s tough. But my family and friends always remind me that if I can get through this, I will grow even more. That’s why I keep pushing forward.
At the end of last year, I heard from my boss about a Japanese businessman who had achieved incredible results. The money he has earned is a testament to his abilities and credibility. I am still far from the level of being a first-class businessman. I need to clear my current challenges first before I can earn anyone’s trust as a businessman.
The greatest swimmer in history, Michael Phelps, mentioned in a documentary that he trained every single day for three years. Facing something every day and building on it is what leads to overwhelming results. In that sense, everyone has the opportunity to achieve great results.