He went to meet the director of the Museum of Modern Art in London.

 

In this era where everything is undergoing transformation, work itself is also in the midst of change.

The old ways no longer work, and it's better to think of work as synonymous with creating something new, creating new ways of doing things.

You could even say we've reached a point where we must rebuild our very concept of work to adapt.
So what is this new concept of work? There is no clear compass, and the paths blazed by those who came before are hard to see. We must believe in ourselves and move forward step by step. Of course, there will be failures and detours, but as long as we don't stop moving forward, what we can do gradually increases, and our strides become stronger.

When viewed this way, I believe the concept of "adventure" comes closest to expressing this new perspective on work.

In this series, I will select content from my book, " The Adventure Called Work: Meeting the World's Extraordinary Talents " (published by Chuo Koron Shinsha), to introduce the people I've encountered and their ways of thinking during my daily work—a journey full of the same bumps and ups and downs as an adventure.

First up is the story of a London museum director who frequently uses the word "big" in conversation.

It was during the planning of an art exhibition. Thinking it might motivate Japanese artists, I discussed creating something like a showcase for the Japanese art scene with the director of a modern art museum in London. He was always seeking new exhibition ideas and, to my surprise, indulged me for a while as I brought up art from a distant country.

"Modern art is always defined by its contrast with history, so knowing art history is everything," he said, delightedly discussing the background and meaning of art's existence through its historical context. He was the kind of person who could talk about the Middle Ages, the Baroque period, and Romanticism within a 30-minute conversation about current events. When he said "recently," that "recently" seemed to mean roughly the past 50 years.

It wasn't just because of his profession, but whenever we talked, he would always ask, "What significance does this new project you're proposing have in world history?" Not "What significance does it have?" but "What significance does it have in world history?"

So you absolutely had to prepare beforehand, thinking things like, "Within this context, an approach like this hasn't existed before," or "This perspective will influence future works in this category."

He repeatedly used the word "big" in his speech: "Think Big," "Bigger Picture." Humans are weak creatures, inevitably fixated on what's right in front of them. So, he said, grasp things from the broadest possible perspective. To do that, you sometimes need to force yourself, and occasionally he'd sketch the beginning of the Earth on the whiteboard. Big Bang. There it was again – big. He explained that by tracing things back this far and seeing the entire flow at once, you could truly see what was essential.

That was a profound experience for me. Training to consider the meaning within world history. Ultimately, it applies to all work. Is this work truly necessary? Does it really hold meaning? What meaning am I truly trying to imbue it with? And above all, are you prepared to make it something that leaves a mark on Earth's history? That's what I was being asked.

Indeed, business speeds have accelerated relentlessly. Annual plans become quarterly, monthly plans become weekly. Yet does this truly foster innovation? Not necessarily. More often, it leaves us merely scrambling to keep pace with the world's currents. To become someone who can make a meaningful impact on the world, you must first step back from that cycle and reassess things within a larger flow. Then, within that flow, you must consider whether you have the resolve to make a decisive mark, a mark that leaves a lasting imprint. That's what it comes down to.

Watching him, I find his demeanor—setting his timeframe far into the distance, gazing into the distance as he contemplates things—truly admirable. It strikes me as one way to live without hesitation.

Next time, I'll share the story of meeting Colombia's book king. Stay tuned.