From General to Mikoshi Lord

I feel a bit self-conscious using a war metaphor today, but most founders begin as battlefield generals. They rule by fiat, know every inch of the business, overwork, live in constant urgency, and—depending on personality—can be edgy or irritable. It’s the “I’m the pitcher, the cleanup hitter, and the manager” phase.

In firms run this way, people clearly more capable than the founder seldom join. Talented professionals want room to exercise their own judgment. If you make tangible products like cars or clothes—or if you’re an investment firm such as Berkshire Hathaway—you can sometimes go far with a single-general model. For most businesses, though, growth eventually stalls.

To attract great people, using the same analogy, the general must become a feudal lord riding the mikoshi (portable shrine): others carry the portable shrine while the founder sits on top. Once that happens, first-rate generals are happy to come aboard.

A new trial follows—a creeping sense of uselessness. Better people take over your former tasks and deliver superior results. Each executive knows the front line of their specialty, so in meetings you often discover you’re the one who’s mistaken. Because authority is delegated, it feels wrong (except in emergencies) to meddle.

While riding the mikoshi, you may fear you’re turning into a “foolish lord,” wonder whether your position is at risk, and ask if the company would thrive without you. Many founders at this stage quit, mentally check out and dive into hobbies, or launch side projects in search of purpose.

Everyone handles the phase differently; here’s how I’m approaching it.

I today believe CEO’s job boils down to three things: describing the vision, spotting talent, and enabling people to do their best work. (Steve Jobs said something similar, but it only recently clicked for me.) Translated to the earlier analogy: state clearly where and why the mikoshi is headed, find people willing to shoulder it, and help them push themselves forward.

These tasks are abstract, not hard skills that can be benchmarked, which is why hands-on founders often feel uneasy. Yet if the founding CEO doesn’t do this work, the company can’t reach the next stage.

At Gojo I now believe that people and organization are the ultimate product. I pour time into interviews and meetings with potential hires & stakeholders, and I focus on communicating our vision and direction during turbulent times. Motivating people effectively remains a craft I’m still learning.