#44 Jibun Co., Ltd. Business School July 2025, Session 1: "Small Giant Strategy for Life"
We have entered the middle of July.
The weather has truly become summer-like, with intense heat and guerrilla rainstorms.
I have been using a Montbell parasol during my morning commute, and it has been effective in protecting my body from UV rays and sunlight.
I encourage everyone to use a parasol when going out and to be careful about heatstroke and UV exposure.
Now, Hitoshi Kinoshita's "Jibun Co., Ltd. Business School" has resumed after several months.
This month's theme is "Building a Small Giant Strategy for Life," and since the first session focused on "Management of Meaning Over Scale for Me," I would like to report on it.
What is a "Small Giant"?
I heard the term "Small Giant" for the first time in this lecture.
In the corporate world, large companies with significant scale and revenue are generally highly valued, but this term refers to entities that, despite their small size, provide great value to society by pursuing unique values and cultures.
I think this applies to companies that produce traditional goods or local products, which may not have high production volumes but are active in their regions and supported by a loyal fan base.
Therefore, the theme this time was about building a "Small Giant" strategy for our own lives to create a rich life that is not swayed by numbers or money.
The "Scale" surrounding me
In my case, climbing the career ladder and increasing my income are clear evaluation metrics, and pursuing these leads to the expansion of "scale" in terms of sales.
If I pursue this, my income will increase and I will have more money to spend, but I also have to consider the risks: dedicating most of my time to my main job, wearing down my mental health by catering to bosses and top management, getting caught up in office politics, or falling ill due to excessive overwork to meet demands.
If I increase my money but have no time to spend it, become estranged from family and friends, or fall ill, I will have ruined my life. I felt that a life pursuing only "scale" is extremely dangerous, especially after middle age.
My "Small Giant" strategy
To practice management that gives "meaning" without chasing "scale" too much, I have established the following "Small Giant" strategy.
・In my main job, I will stop blindly following the intentions of top management and bosses, and instead approach my work with my own ideas and core principles for the sake of "regional development" and "management that allows me and my colleagues to work happily."
・I will pursue efficiency in my main job to carve out time for my family, the communities I belong to, and the region.
・I will increase my ability to disseminate information by posting at least once a week, mainly on note.
・I will secure time for self-care to maintain my mental and physical health.
・I will cherish my family and colleagues and increase my "trust" assets.
An opportunity to reflect on what "happiness for me" is
I have thought about my "Small Giant" strategy at Jibun Co., Ltd.
Since everyone's values regarding what constitutes happiness in life are different, this was a good opportunity to re-examine them.
In my case, increasing my income is of course important, but in parallel, I want to work on realizing the formation of human relationships that do not depend solely on my main job, which is my "Small Giant" strategy.
By doing so, I hope to achieve my goal of being "active for life" by pursuing my own value and receiving recognition.
Since the second half of the year has just started, I want to do my best to aim for being a "Small Giant" together with all of you!