Part 7: Why the feeling of 'Is this really okay?' won't go away—Sales are there, but 'discomfort' is piling up for the successor

A few years after taking over.

Sales haven't dropped sharply.
Cash flow isn't in immediate danger.
There are employees.
The relationship with the bank continues.

To those around you,
it might look like things are 'going well'.

Even so—

For some reason,
there is a feeling in the successor's mind
that never goes away.

'Is it really okay to keep going like this?'

・Profits are being made, but the future is unclear
・I'm busy, but I don't feel like the company is getting stronger
・Sales are there, but for some reason, the anxiety won't go away
・Employees are working hard, too. But something isn't clicking
・I want to do new things. But I don't know where to start

There are many successors who harbor this kind of 'discomfort'.

And what makes it troublesome is
that it is difficult to explain with numbers alone.

That is why it is hard to convey to those around you.

Then,
'Aren't you overthinking it?'
'If things are going well now, isn't that fine?'
is what you get told.

But in the field,
the more a company ignores this 'small discomfort',
the more difficult things can become a few years later.

The discomfort that the successor is feeling
is not just simple anxiety.

It is often an intuitive perception of a 'structural misalignment'.

Having sales does not equal peace of mind

This is important.

Companies where the successor struggles
are not necessarily companies in the red.

Rather, what is common is
'companies that have sales'.

However,
when you look at the substance,
danger signals are appearing little by little.

For example,

・Unable to raise prices, leading to lower gross margins
・Heavy reliance on specific customers
・Work is concentrated on long-term employees
・Only the president has a grasp of the whole picture
・Capacity for new investment is decreasing
・Unable to recruit
・Young staff are not developing
・Busy, yet cash is not increasing

This is the situation.

In other words,
“It’s running for now”

But,

“The capacity for the future is decreasing”

state.

Here,
successors unconsciously begin to feel a sense of unease.

The problem is that 'what you can't see' is scary

The successor's anxiety,
is actually not just about 'current problems'.

What is truly scary is,

“problems that are not yet visible”

is.

・Can we really sustain this profit margin?
・Isn't this reliance on business partners dangerous?
・Will this business model still work in 5 years?
・Will the company run if I collapse?
・Can the current management team adapt to change?
・Won't we become unable to make capital investments at this rate?

In short, the successor,
not just 'now',
is beginning to feel
“future fragility”.

However, that sense of unease,
cannot be clearly seen in financial statements alone.

That is why to those around them,
it looks like,
“What are you so worried about?”

But in reality,
only the manager,
feels the subtle misalignment of the company.

Successors are managing in a 'state without successful experiences'

Founders have,
at least once,
the successful experience of
“having grown it themselves”.

But successors are different.

Taking over an existing company.

Then,
the current sales figures,

・Are they due to my own ability?
・Are they the legacy of the predecessor?
・Are they due to the market environment?
・Are they thanks to the employees?

It becomes impossible to tell.

Therefore,
anxiety creeps in with every decision.

What is particularly painful is
knowing that 'it will be too late once a problem occurs.'

In management,
it is often too late to act once things have already gone bad.

That is why successors
worry about the sense of unease before it shows up in the numbers.

But those around them
say, 'Everything is fine, isn't it?'

This gap
intensifies the feeling of loneliness.

A 'gap in management perspective' begins to emerge

In companies where the successor is struggling,
little by little,
a gap in management perspective is occurring.

For example,

The president
feels, 'It is dangerous if we don't increase gross profit.'

But the staff on the ground
prioritize 'not wanting to lose sales.'

The president
thinks, 'It will be bad if we don't invest now.'

But the executives
say, 'Let's wait and see for now.'

The president
feels, 'If we don't change, the next five years will be dangerous.'

But the veteran employees
say, 'We have always done it this way.'

In other words,
the time horizons they are looking at are different.

The successor is
starting to look toward the future.

But the organization is
operating on the past and present.

As this gap widens,
only the president begins to feel anxious.

Ignoring this unease leads to 'silent deterioration'

What is dangerous is
not a major failure.

Rather, it is
the company gradually becoming weaker.

・Profit margins are slowly declining
・Cash is not remaining despite being busy
・Executives are becoming passive
・Meetings are becoming mere confirmation tasks
・New challenges are decreasing
・Investment decisions are delayed
・Only the president feels a sense of crisis

Then the company,
rather than breaking suddenly,

will 'silently stagnate'.

していきます。

And a few years later,
when market changes, talent attrition,
or cash flow deterioration occur,
it will suddenly become difficult.

Therefore,
the unease felt by the successor
should not be taken lightly.

That is because
it is often
a sign of structural change

「経営者の勘」というより、

構造変化の予兆

であることが多いからです。

What is needed is not 'to try harder'

This is also important.

The more a successor harbors this unease,
the more they try to work hard.

・Study more・Observe the front lines more・Talk to employees more・Gather more informationOf course, that is also necessary.

However,
the problem is often not a 'lack of effort'.

What is needed is,
first, organization.

・What is truly dangerous?
・What is still functioning as a strength right now?
・Where is the profit margin starting to collapse?
・Will there be any capacity left for future investment?
・What should be changed and what should be kept?
・Which feelings of unease are 'emotional' and which are 'structural'?

Separating these.

Once you put your unease into words,
the next steps begin to appear.

Finally

The hardship of a successor
is not because a problem has occurred, but

“a sense of unease that hasn't quite become a problem yet”

in continuing to feel it.

Moreover,
that is difficult for those around you to understand.

Therefore,
you start to think,
“Am I the one who is strange?”

But in reality,
as a business leader,
you are often intuitively sensing the misalignment in the company.

So, what is important
is not to force yourself to suppress that unease.

It is to structurally organize
what is happening.

I handle over 400 consultations a year in the fields of business succession, second startups, and new business development.

In a 60-minute brainstorming session,

・What is the true nature of the unease?
・Where are the truly dangerous issues?
・What is the status of gross profit, cash reserves, and investment capacity?
・What is starting to go out of alignment within the organization?
・Is this a phase to defend or a phase to attack?
・The next realistic step to take

I help organize these points.

If you are currently feeling:

・'Is this really okay?' won't go away
・Sales are there, but the anxiety won't go away
・You are busy, but don't feel the company is getting stronger
・Meetings never turn into discussions about the future
・You feel like you are the only one with a sense of crisis

If that state of affairs continues,

it is not that you are being pessimistic,

but perhaps you are simply 'starting to feel a disconnect as a business leader.'

It may just be that.

*Case studies have been partially modified. They are not related to actual companies or individuals.

📩 Click here for an initial 60-minute consultation
'Executives won't take action,' 'Meetings never reach a decision,' 'I'm taking on too much.'
Together, we will organize these situations from a structural perspective.

👉 Click here for inquiries
https://jissenstrategy.com/contact
✉ info@jissenstrategy.com

Atsushi Kumagai
Practical Management Advisor / SME Management Consultant

I provide hands-on support in the fields of business succession, second-generation startups, and new business development to help business leaders reach a state where they can make informed decisions.

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