#382 Why Was Toyotomi Hideyoshi Able to Conquer the Country? A Perspective on Logistics and Organizational Design
Currently, as I am involved in products for the manufacturing industry, I am studying manufacturing and logistics on a daily basis.
In the midst of that, I happened to watch a video explaining Toyotomi Hideyoshi's logistics.
What was discussed there was the perspective thatHideyoshi was not strong at war, but strong at logistics.
At first, it was a bit surprising.
Because when it comes to Hideyoshi, there is a strong image of a "skilled warrior" or a "self-made man," such as the Great Retreat from Chugoku and the unification of the country.
However, as I listened to the content,
how to deploy people
how to manage supply chains
how to organize information
how to make an organization function
I was strongly convinced by the argument that Hideyoshi's essence lay indesigning the entire organization to win.And I feel that this is quite similar to modern management and organizational development.
People who are good at sales and people who are good at management are different
In modern companies, I have the impression that people with top sales results are often promoted to management or executive positions.
Since the achievement of "having made the most sales" is very easy to understand, this is very natural. It is easy to explain to those around you, and it is easy to gain a sense of conviction as a personnel decision.
However,
being good at sales
being good at management
are, by nature, quite different abilities, aren't they?
Sales requires the power to break through on the front lines.
The ability to produce numbers as an individual or to move the person in front of you is, so to speak, the ability of a "samurai."
On the other hand, what is necessary for management is
how to make the entire organization function
where to invest resources
Where is the bottleneck?
How can we ensure reproducibility?
How can we continue to win consistently?
These are the powers of "holistic design."
In other words, the strength of individual combat is different from the strength of organizational warfare.
If this is confused and someone strong in individual combat is tasked with organizational design, the organization will gradually struggle.
Hideyoshi's strength lay in "supply," not "battle."
Hideyoshi was by no means the strongest warlord of the Sengoku period. Rather, his strengths were in:
how to transport provisions,
how to move troops,
how to set up encampments,
in what order to attack,
and how to maintain supply lines,
which are said to be his logistical capabilities.
Logistics here is not merely physical distribution.
It is the very philosophy of "how to manage the flow of people, goods, money, and information, and how to make the entire organization function."
For example, no matter how strong your sales force is, if you are in a state where:
information is not shared,
there is no delivery plan,
or organizational design and strategy are weak,
it becomes difficult for the organization to continue providing value. Even if sales grow temporarily due to the hard work of the front lines, you will eventually hit a limit.
This is very similar not only in management but also in project management. No matter how much you can win orders through sales power, if project planning and control are weak, there will be no success, no matter how hard individuals work.
Is information organized?
Is inter-team collaboration functioning?
Are priorities aligned?
Are operations reproducible?
These aspects of "logistical design" are what actually determine the results.
Hideyoshi valued those who could handle practical tasks
What is interesting about Hideyoshi's organizational building is that he did not only value "flashy warlords."
Take Kato Kiyomasa, for example.
While he is generally imagined as a fierce warrior, in reality, he is said to have been exceptionally skilled at castle construction, site setup, supply, and logistical support. Ishida Mitsunari was also a typical back-office type of person.
In modern terms, this might be closer to roles like
COO
PMO
Operations Manager
Corporate Planning
And Hideyoshi made heavy use of these "people who can keep operations running." This is very important.
This is very important.
In many organizations, attention inevitably gathers on those who produce "conspicuous results." However, in reality, without people skilled in logistical support, an organization cannot produce results consistently.
Sales-oriented leaders need a "trusted lieutenant"
What is important here is that there is nothing wrong with sales-oriented leaders.
Rather, people who can break through the front lines are absolutely necessary for an organization.
However, when that type of leader heads an organization, they need a trusted lieutenant to support the logistics. I think this is extremely important.
Beside a strong sales manager, you need a COO who can calmly view the whole picture.
Beside a charismatic CEO, you need a practitioner who can realistically run the organization.
When the balance between offense and defense collapses,
Reliance on spirit-based arguments
Reliance on specific individuals
Frontline exhaustion
Overemphasis on short-term numbers
are likely to occur.
Hidenaga is considered to have been the trusted aide who handled logistics for Hideyoshi. However, in reality, he seems to have been someone who understood the intentions of Hideyoshi—who was skilled at logistics—and translated them into a form that could be executed on the front lines.
Logistics is the 'philosophy of making an organization win'
When people hear 'logistics,' they tend to imagine physical distribution.
However, its essence lies in the philosophy of 'how to make the entire organization win.'
Where to invest resources
Where the bottlenecks are
How to maximize results at a low cost
How to ensure reproducibility
It is about constantly thinking through these questions.
That is not merely back-office work; it is, in fact, management itself.
I feel this importance strongly in software development as well.
Especially within the development methodology known as Scrum, I feel that the very act of visualizing bottlenecks in retrospectives and continuously improving operations is a logistical philosophy.
And we face challenges every day, such as not being able to deliver as planned during sprint planning. To build a team that consistently produces results, it is necessary to face daily operations with exactly this logistical philosophy.
When a team is struggling, it is tempting to rely on the raw power of a super-engineer, but in many cases, it is not just a matter of 'individual incompetence,' but rather a dysfunction in organizational design or information flow.
That is precisely why we need to more fairly evaluate the value of daily operational improvements from a logistical perspective, don't you think?
I feel that Hideyoshi's organizational design symbolizes this very point.
As an aside, I will conclude by introducing a book that allowed me to learn about the transportation industry in a fun way through meticulous research and a thrilling story.
Thank you for reading until the end.
See you next time!