Learn from strategist-like characters. Stories where adversity and crises become enjoyable.

It's probably not just me who gets motivated when a strategist coolly devises a strategy and destroys the enemy.

When my motivation drops, I often find stories about strategists in action and get engrossed in reading them. Before that, what exactly is a strategist? It's someone who devises strategies and commands during a battle. In short, it's about smart people moving others to defeat the enemy! Those smart characters really resonate with me, personally.

I often wonder if 'business' and 'strategy' (like those devised by a military strategist) are similar. However, in business (especially in blue oceans), there isn't a specific enemy, and in the first place, the fields that ventures and startups aim for are almost entirely blue oceans, so I think it's different from a territory-grabbing game. Certainly, many business terms seem to have been drawn from war terminology, and I suppose it's easy to imagine that business strategy = military operations or something similar being applied. Is it military terminology?

Military strategy and business are completely different things, so it's not really about knowledge.

Or rather, the word 'strategy' itself is already military in nature. If you ask Google Sensei about 'military terms business,' you'll find a lot of things. If you're interested, please look it up. But I think again, ventures and startups are no longer about territory-grabbing games. While hitting the enemy's head to make them lose morale might be applicable depending on the way you think, that's not what it's about. Instead, we should prioritize customers and users, and it's not about what the enemy is doing.

When I was in junior high and high school, chess was interesting, and I played it quite a bit. I used to wonder if those kinds of strategy games actually served as training for business thinking. Certainly, I think they can be good training for using your brain and logical thinking, but I feel they're different from marketing and business. However, the way of thinking that involves reading between the lines and exploiting weaknesses might indeed be useful when considering the flow of business.

I've digressed a bit, but business and strategists are fundamentally different. So, I don't feel in the slightest that business = military. The reason I get motivated by watching strategists is because of a kind of success story that uses intellect. When the situation is extremely unfavorable, for example, when allies are few or an overwhelming wall stands before them, they overcome difficulties with intellect and strategy, drawing in many people with words and actions, and gradually gaining power. This kind of situation, breaking through adversity with intellect, is exciting for me and for the characters.

Adversity teaches us the fun of being able to overcome anything depending on the strategy.

Certainly, manga and movies are a kind of virtual reality, but what's great is that they lead to the thought, 'No matter how small the starting point, with the right thinking, any adversity can be overcome.' And such character traits are cool and admirable. Then, after finishing reading or watching, I compare it to my own situation. For example, when I'm in a good state, it becomes very enjoyable to envision a strategy of 'what kind of story will I create for the future?' However, what's most exciting is when I'm facing adversity. When I'm in adversity with no escape, thinking about how to elegantly break through the current situation and actually doing it is incredibly fun.

I think everyone faces such adversities. I myself have faced such adversities many times. At first, it's scary. For instance, almost being burdened with huge debts, or trying to flee overseas. When you start getting involved in various things, I think you'll experience such times. Each time, I would watch stories of strategists, steel my heart, and think, 'Alright, how shall I overcome this adversity?' And for some reason, I remember it being fun.

When you do that repeatedly, at first, a crisis is scary, but gradually it becomes fun. Really. Oh no, a crisis! How will I overcome it! Something like that. The more cornered you are, the sharper your mind becomes, and unimaginable negotiation skills or explosive power are unleashed. And in the end, things work out. Before anxiety, it's more like, 'An interesting game has been given to me! How shall I clear it!' As a result, the pleasure and exhilaration of overcoming a crisis that seemed insurmountable, no matter how hard you struggled, is simply indescribable. It's irresistible. Eventually, you start saying chuunibyou-like things such as, 'If I think with all my might, there's nothing I can't overcome!'

Of course, there are times when I can't definitively say I've overcome it. In those times, I feel like I've barely survived, helped by the kindness of others. To be honest, I lack the skill of winning people's hearts, so I often fail because I can't fully grasp people's minds and feelings. This is definitely an area for improvement. Daily effort. If I were more knowledgeable about people's feelings, hearts, and emotions, some things would have gone more smoothly.

Anyway, stories about strategists boost those feelings and exhilaration. After reading, a mindset and motivation to turn a crisis into an opportunity emerge. That's why I like them. That being said, this might be a personal thing. On the other hand, there might be others who feel the same way as me. If you find even a little bit to empathize with, I recommend reading or watching strategist-themed works when you're in a pinch. They might just give you the motivation and mindset to break through your current situation!

For now, I'd like to introduce two recommended works. They are anime and manga.

So, I will introduce two recommended strategist-themed works. That said, they are already famous, so some of you might have already seen them. And they are anime and manga.

First, the first work is an anime called Code Geass. This was the first anime that made me think, 'Strategy is so cool!' It's my number one anime of all time. There's no doubt it was the most interesting anime for me (personal preference). If you haven't seen it, please do. The sight of the protagonist rising through the ranks with his intellect and strategy makes you feel like, 'Whoa, strategy is amazing!' It makes you realize what you can achieve with just your brain.

It's long, but if you're interested, please check it out. They've been doing new chapters recently, haven't they? Like Akito the Exiled. Every other year, I rewatch all the episodes and get excited all over again. Even people who aren't anime fans might enjoy watching it. I haven't seen it in a while, so maybe I'll watch it again. I tried to write about its appeal in various ways, but I kept feeling like I'd end up spoiling it, so I'll stop.

And, the second work I watched recently. It's a manga called Drifters. This is a story where people from various eras and centuries, like Nobunaga and Hannibal, fight using their intellect. I was a bit hesitant about the first volume, wondering how it would be. But after reading up to volume 4, I found myself completely hooked. It makes you think, 'Nobunaga is so smart.' Also, there's the historical difference in technology and ways of thinking, I suppose. There were thoughts and beliefs from each era, which made me ponder many things.

It's not about being weak because it's the past, or strong because it's the future. Even people from the past, if they are excellent at using their minds, even if they don't know everything, they are amazing. If you can 'know' about weapons created in the future, you can instantly figure out how to utilize them. The moment you know, you can master future combat methods. This is exactly like logical thinking in business or fundamental cognitive abilities, that thing that was popular a while ago, right? Basically, if you have a good head on your shoulders, you'll know how to use any latest technology. You can pinpoint what the cutting edge is. It also makes you realize such fundamental things.

So, I've introduced two works. If you know of any stories where strategists play an active role, overcoming challenges with their intellect, I'd be delighted if you could tell me. It will definitely boost my motivation.

Everyone, I believe your current situations and positions are completely different. However, no matter what the situation, no matter how negative the environment, I believe there is always a strategy somewhere that can break through that state. The rest is whether you can find that strategy. Mistake yourself for a genius and please try to break through. I'm sure a very pleasant moment awaits you. Please try to find works that give you such motivation.