"A President Who Is Too Kind Destroys the Company" -- How to Build an Organization That Operates on Rules Rather Than Emotions

What is the right distance to keep from employees, as interpreted through Shikigaku?

Now, having used my son's heartbreak as a springboard (lol) to think about "what is the right distance between a manager and employees?",
the conclusion, when organized systematically,
leads to Shikigaku (= organizational theory that excludes emotion).

I think many people have heard of this.
It's the idea of "running an organization based on rules and areas of responsibility, rather than relying on emotions."
It is, so to speak, a third philosophy that sits between "Showa-era guts theory" and "Yutori-era empathy-ism" (lol).

How to switch between emotional drive and Shikigaku drive

-- When should a president switch from "hot-blooded mode" to "structural mode"?

Before I go further into the topic of Shikigaku, I want to share my own thoughts first.

I have seen many different companies.
From small ones to those aiming for an IPO, and of course, I have also been in listed companies.
Each company has its own culture, with both good and bad sides.
There is no such thing as a perfect company, after all.

Then, one day, it occurred to me.

It's like the temperature setting of a sauna,
if you get the timing wrong for entering,
employees will either overheat or, conversely, freeze.

The startup phase is fine with "hot-blooded soup curry"

After starting a business, with around 10 employees.
"Hey, let's all run together again today!!!"
-- This vibe is the most effective.

To use an analogy, it's like the kitchen of a soup curry shop.
Oil splatters and burns are everyday occurrences.
But everyone is absorbed in "let's make something delicious!"
If you introduce Shikigaku during this period, it will probably end up like this.

Yes, chaos is the driving force.
There is definitely a period where you should break through with "momentum over rules."

The startup phase is a phase for enjoying chaos and creating rules.
Being rational and logical is, as the name suggests, correct.

The "lukewarm water incident" that occurs in the growth phase

But once a company exceeds 30 people, the story changes.
"The president seeing everything" becomes physically impossible.

My company was the same.
The team that had been moving with "tacit understanding"
suddenly started to drift apart one day.

"Who decided that?"
"Well, just sort of..."

—It is a hell of "sort of."

During this period, the president often thinks like this.
"The company's temperature has felt a bit low lately."
But in reality, that is not the case.
The temperature is uneven.

Shikigaku is not a "cooling device" but a "temperature equalization machine"

When people hear "Shikigaku," they misunderstand it as "cold."
That is wrong. It is not about "cooling" things down, but "leveling" them out.

It calms down places that have become too hot,
and transfers heat to places that have cooled down.
In other words, it is anorganizational heat conduction system.

For example, when there are more than 50 employees, this happens:

• Team A: Passionate type. Slack lights up until late at night.

• Team B: Regular hours type. Silence during lunch break.

• President: "Wait, we're the same company, right?"

If you leave this temperature difference alone,dissatisfaction with evaluationswill arise.
Things like, "A is working so hard" or "B is taking it easy."

That is why you introduce Shikigaku-style rules (roles, responsibilities, performance standards).
Then, strangely, everyone becomes calm.
"I see, A is in sales, B is in operations. It's natural for their temperatures to be different."

The "technique" of introducing Shikigaku without stopping emotions

If you completely extinguish the fire of emotion, the company will turn to ash.
Therefore, the trick to introducing Shikigaku isthe order.

1. First, talk about the purpose (vision)

2. Next, establish rules (mechanisms)

3. Finally, add emotion (empathy)

The strongest order is this:Structure → Heat → Emotion.
Support with rules, move with heat, and nourish with emotion.

The timing I've seen for "implementing Shikigaku"

In my experience, it's when the number of employees exceeds 30 people.
From this point on, running on emotion-driven management leads to burnout.

If you are looking toward an IPO or M&A, early Shikigaku inoculation is recommended.
This is because the later you implement it, the more painful it becomes.
(e.g., cultural clashes, resistance from long-term employees, Slack meltdowns)

If you establish rules at an early stage,
you can just say later, "This is how we've done it from the start."
It is truly a vaccination while you're still small.

A hybrid of emotion-driven and Shikigaku-driven management

Ultimately,
I think management is a balance between "heat" and "structure."

• Heat only: You run out of control and burn out.

• Structure only: You freeze up and come to a halt.

The ideal is this

If either is missing, you will crash.

Shikigaku is "the calmness to protect trust"

Emotion attracts people.
But what builds up trust is consistency.

Shikigaku is not for "being cold."
It is for creating "a system where anyone can make the same judgment."

That is why I still,
am passionate during morning assemblies,
calm during meetings,
and tend to leave Slack messages on read (wait, what?).

Now, let me explain specifically once more.

"Boss and subordinate are 'roles,' not 'parent and child.'"

First, the basic premise.
Employees are not "family."
There are pros and cons to saying this, but in terms of Shikigaku, it is a completely forbidden word.

Because the word "family" comes with "dependency" attached.
"The president should understand my feelings"
"The president is working hard, so I have to work hard too"

...This sounds beautiful, but it is the gateway to emotion-driven management.
Management that relies on emotions will eventually lead everyone to burnout (lol).

Role = Contract.
The president is the "person who sets the direction," and the employees are the "people who produce results."
Do not mix these up. This is the "starting point for maintaining distance."

"Rules over empathy."

This is a classic Shikigaku phrase.
"Empathy is temporary, rules are permanent.".

If a president says, "I had a hard time back in the day too," employees might feel "saved" for a moment.
But the next day, they think this:

"So, when can I take my paid leave again?"

—Back to reality (laughs).

Empathy can act as a pressure valve, but it doesn't create a system.
Therefore,

• Meeting rules

• Evaluation rules

• Authority rules

must be organized by "structure," not "emotion."
A company where promotions and pay cuts change based on the president's mood is like amoody boyfriendin a relationship (laughs).

"Building 'credibility' rather than 'trust'"

Many managers say, "A relationship of trust with employees is important!"
Of course, it is.
But in Shikigaku, "credibility" is more important than "trust."

Trust = Emotion
Credibility = Systems and track record

For example, even if a president says, "I trust you,"
if the evaluation is opaque the following month, the employee will think, "Is that just talk?"

But if you show it through numbers and rules, they will think, "Oh, this person is consistent."

In other words, in a relationship,
it's more reliable to say "Show me the bankbook for our wedding savings" than "I love you" (laughs).

"'Being close' does not equal psychological safety"

"Psychological safety" is something we hear about often lately.
The idea that "a workplace where everyone can speak freely is good!"

But from a Shikigaku perspective,
"being able to speak freely" and "being close" are different things.

When the distance is too close, the workplace becomes one where employees are "walking on eggshells around the boss."
Even if there is discussion, true feelings are never expressed.

True psychological safety is a state where
"rules and authority are clear, so you won't be attacked personally no matter what you say."

In other words, it's not a social club vibe, buta professional team relationship.
It's not about being buddies, but "a relationship of trust connected by roles."

"Kindness that doesn't intrude on emotions"

Keeping distance does not mean being cold.
In fact, at Shikigaku, we believe that "not intruding on emotions is the very definition of kindness."

Example: When an employee makes a mistake

• Emotional President: "Why on earth did you do that?!"

• Laissez-faire President: "Well, it can't be helped, don't worry about it."

• Shikigaku-style President: "What deviated from the rules?"

At first glance, it looks too cold, but this is the most reproducible approach.
Getting angry or offering comfort won't change the result.
But if you correct the "structural deviation," it prevents recurrence.

This is exactly like "a boyfriend who logically organizes things when you have a fight in a relationship."
It's annoying, but he's the type you end up thanking later (laughs).

"The president is not an 'empathy device,' but a 'directional indicator'"

The president's role is not "to understand everyone's feelings," but
"to lead everyone in the right direction."

Direction over empathy.
Structure over emotion.
Numbers over tears.

It sounds cold when put into words, but for employees, it is a "reassuring distance."
It's like a Shinkansen train driver.
The in-train announcements are detached, but they are incredibly reassuring.

Conversely, if there were a president who was all, "Hey everyone! I love you all today!!!"
the employees would probably get off at the next station (laughs).

"Shikigaku x Human Touch = Strongest"

That said, swallowing the Shikigaku textbook whole and becoming a "robot president" is also wrong.
Even if distance is determined by structure,the warmth of the relationship is determined by the human element.

In other words, "80% Shikigaku + 20% human touch" is just about right.

From the employee's perspective,
the "peace of mind of being protected by rules" and
the "kindness that occasionally leaks from the president"
make for a "trustworthy boss."

It's like those rare moments when a cool, calm teacher smiles (laughs).
That "glimpse of humanity" is what works best.

A president doesn't need to be loved; they need to be respected.

To summarize it in terms of Shikigaku,
a manager is not a "beloved entity" but a "trusted structure."

Employees don't need to like the president.
However,a company where employees can trust the systems the president has createdis strong.

In other words, it's like this:

• Beloved President → Great at parties, but the numbers are in the red.

• Respected President → Might not get invited to parties, but the performance is in the black.

Which one is better?
I would choose the latter without hesitation.

Finally, a word to my son (laughs).

Son, in both romance and management, distance is everything.
Being too close or too far is no good.
And above all, what's most important is to "create rules and follow them."

If there were a Shikigaku of romance, it would definitely say this:

…No, that's way too unromantic (laughs).

But that is how much "structure and distance" are the foundation of human relationships.