Advice for Those Who Truly Want to Transform Large Corporations: "Star Power for Everyone" and "Playing Different Roles" (Part 2)

Fukui: At Japan Post, to use my favorite soccer analogy, I was dedicated to the number 10 position (playmaker). Since joining Tokyu, I've spent nearly two years in a position akin to the number 6 (defensive midfielder) – operating behind the number 10, handling everything skillfully and all-around.

I believe this applies not only to roles within a team but also to the role of teams within a company. Open innovation activities, like accelerator programs, should fundamentally be positioned as a means to achieve management goals aligned with the company-wide strategy. However, recently, there are cases where operating accelerator programs or CVCs (Corporate Venture Capital) has become an end in itself.

Therefore, I am also conscious of first establishing open innovation that aligns with the company's overall management strategy. It's not just about leading as the playmaker; it's also about gently correcting the course when I sense such misalignment.

Yoshida: I see. In Japan, innovation-minded people often aspire to be like Sakamoto Ryoma, but what's truly needed is someone like Katsu Kaishu. A midfield-type role that unifies differing interests. Ryoma was ultimately assassinated, leaving no one to replace him. In that sense, perhaps it's crucial for companies not to personalize the revolutionary figure to a single individual, but to leave behind an "ism" within the organization.

Fukui: I agree completely. Ultimately, I want to create a universal success model for generating innovation within large corporations. The initiatives I'm pursuing at Tokyu are challenges aimed at realizing that goal.

Regarding Tokyu's Accelerate Program, I see it unfolding in three phases: Phase 1 (2015-2017) was the founding and position-establishing phase before I joined; Phase 2 (2018-2019) focused on organization and systemization through measures like year-round applications; and Phase 3 (starting 2020) is the democratization phase, expanding this as an option to a broader range of people within the group. Honestly, I came to see it this way because of my current experience—acting while thinking about "how the organization can accumulate strength," rather than clinging to the role of a command tower.

To be self-critical, there's a tendency for corporate intrapreneurs in large companies to be fawned over even when they don't deliver results like revenue or profit contributions typical of startups. This leads to an organization dependent on specific innovators and unable to generate innovation as a team. Short-term, that might be acceptable. But to truly transform an organization, you need to hire new talent or scale up teams to leverage their impact. Otherwise, you'll forever remain stuck in the same phase of efforts.

Yoshida: People who start their own businesses and those who climb the corporate ladder within large companies have different natures, right? Striking that balance allows for innovation that could never happen without the foundation of a large corporation, driven by employees with an entrepreneurial spirit. As someone belonging to a large corporation myself, I understand that mindset.

Fukui: To use another soccer analogy, since joining Tokyu, I feel I've gained the perspective of watching the field from directly above. I've become more conscious of thinking about how to ensure passes reach their intended targets and filling positions left vacant. It's like playing different roles – sometimes midfield, sometimes playmaker.

However, I keenly realized over these nearly two years that staying away from the playmaker role (number 10) for too long dulls your instincts. Sometimes you need to consciously push forward yourself. It's all about balance. Because of this, for about a year now, while running the Accelerate Program, I've also been preparing as the lead person for a separate open innovation initiative. My current department often forms teams on a project basis, so I'm currently playing both the number 10 and the number 6 roles. Also, in this era, with remote environments and IT tools well-established, enabling various possibilities, I think it's also valid to, for example, act as a coordinator within the company while simultaneously advancing a number 10-style project in an extracurricular activity like ONE JAPAN.

Yoshida: Maintaining versatility is crucial—both for preserving your capabilities and showcasing your diversity to others. But what about those who can't become versatile utility players like you, Mr. Fukui?

Fukui: Being a leader doesn't mean you have to be a utility player yourself. I think it's crucial to have utility players on your team who can bring out your strengths.

What Large Corporations Can Offer