Episode 53: The Lion Summit
April 7, 2026
The other day, I went out for dinner with President Takemori of Lion Corporation. You’re probably thinking, "Wait, is this because of the 'Lion' connection?" (Lions are the symbol of NJPW). Well, as it turns out, President Takemori is a huge pro-wrestling fan!
He is 56, which is six years older than me, but we watched pro-wrestling during the same era—the days of the Three Musketeers and the Four Heavenly Kings. Coincidentally, we both took office as President in 2023, but the paths we've walked are... quite different.
President Takemori has primarily been involved in the oral care business. You know, toothpaste and breath care. Actually, I use two different types of toothpaste myself! In the morning, I use NONIO to focus on breath care, and at night, I use Clinica. It might not sound very convincing coming from a guy who’s missing four front teeth, but dental health is important! Truly (cries).
During our dinner, I learned so much from him. We talked about how to align the work that employees must do right now with the work they actually want to do. He explained that by successfully "adjusting" those two things, people can give their full power. And then, you guide that energy toward the goals of the entire company.
Of all the things President Takemori said, the phrase that left the strongest impression was "Full Swing." To have your employees take a full swing at their work. To lead them into a situation where they can take that full swing. He said that is the role and the job of a President.
I was also shocked to hear that their office hours are flexible! If the work can be done remotely, they don't even have to come into the office. Lion Corp is incredible... and their sales have increased since last year. Incredible...
It really goes to show that a President’s influence shapes the future of the enterprise.
Now, even though I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, I realized we have one thing in common. That "Full Swing" approach... Wait, that’s just another way of saying "Zenryoku" (All-Out)!
In other words, my role is to create an environment where every staff member can give their all-out effort. Now that I’ve figured that out, I’m going to give my all-out effort to create that all-out environment! (Okay, that's too much "all-out").
Oh, and we also talked about how it would be great to do a collaboration between Lion Corporation's mascot, Lion-kun, and NJPW's Zippy. If that happens, maybe we could invite Leo and Lina from the Seibu Lions too, for a massive Lion gathering...
Woooooah (None of this is authorized yet)!