I may not be gifted with literary talent, but as a self-made executive who has shouldered the livelihoods of over 100,000 employees for decades, I write this with sincerity. Please read this as the reflections of an old man who is somewhat known in the business world. (This piece remains unedited, as per the contributor’s request.)
The Essence of the Talent Shortage
I am occasionally invited to meetings of Japan’s economic organizations, where I have the opportunity to listen to business leaders during luncheons.
A common refrain I hear is the lament over a “labor shortage” or “talent shortage.”
What disheartens me most is that many of these executives seem to deflect responsibility, blaming external circumstances rather than facing their own shortcomings.
Top-tier corporate leaders do not see employees as mere costs; rather, they view them as their greatest “weapons.”
However, in second- and third-tier companies, executives often refuse to address salary reforms, exhibiting an attitude that can only be described as “capitalist arrogance.”
They attribute their company’s decline to external factors, but in reality, they are merely suffering the consequences of their own neglect to implement necessary reforms.
