Business Succession Expert Explains the 'Way of Being' in Management That Must Be Passed to Successors, Even When Successors Are Available

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Keita Nakatani, Executive Officer at Shinkeiei Service Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; President and CEO: Katsuya Moritani), who has supported over 300 companies as a specialist in business succession and successor development, will publish a new book titled 'Failing vs. Successful Successors: Raising the Next CEO through Eastern Philosophy' (published by Asa Publishing Co., Ltd.).

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A book packed with practical insights from the field of 'Business Succession Specialists,' addressing the urgent need for cultivating next-generation CEOs in an aging small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) landscape.

Succession is not merely a change of CEO, but rather a process through which an individual matures as a business leader. Yet, in many cases, the preparation 'up to the handover' becomes the end goal, leaving post-transition challenges unaddressed. This book rethinks business succession not as a 'method' but as a 'way of being,' grounded in Eastern philosophy. It systematically organizes principles of management—from core values and character to leadership, decision-making, and mission—and presents a framework for nurturing successors who will carry the company’s future.

Cover Image of 'Failing vs. Successful Successors' Author: Keita Nakatani

Table of Contents: 10 Perspectives for a Successor to Mature into a Business Leader

Chapter 1: Maintaining a Calm Center Amidst a Turbulent Era — 'Fudo no Koshi' (Unshakable Axis)

Cultivating a sustainable corporate culture through the leadership posture of 'Fudo,' essential in an era of rapid change and no clear answers.

Chapter 2: The Unchanging Core of Management That Successors Must Master — 'In-Yo' (Yin-Yang)

Developing the balance to detect the seeds of decline within success and discover the seeds of renewal within adversity, highlighting the importance of the 'Yin-Yang' principle.

Chapter 3: Integrated Management Combining West and East as the Foundation for Sustainable Business — 'Chowa' (Harmony)

Sustainable management where systems and ideals coexist, blending Western thought that values logic and results with Eastern thought that values heart and harmony.

Chapter 4: The Right Way to Select Successors and Management Leaders — 'Isei I Toku' (Govern Through Virtue)

The philosophy that successors and leaders should be chosen not only by ability and achievement, but by 'virtue'—a character that continuously refines oneself for the benefit of others.

Chapter 5: Forging the Character of Successors and Executives — 'Shuji Chijin' (Cultivate the Self, Then Govern Others)

Explaining the importance of 'Shuji Chijin'—cultivating oneself before leading others—and offering concrete methods to continuously develop the essential character of a leader through objective self-reflection and introspection.

Chapter 6: Enhancing a Successor’s Judgment — 'Chuyō' (The Golden Mean)

The need for the power of 'Chuyō'—finding the optimal balance in management decisions according to the situation.

Chapter 7: The Ideal Leadership Style for Successors — 'Wa Shitsudō Fudō Shizen' (Harmony Without Conformity, Effortless Naturalness)

'Harmony Without Conformity,' which respects differences without easy agreement, and 'Effortless Naturalness,' which releases excessive intervention and trusts the natural flow.

Chapter 8: The Right Way to Delegate Authority and Pass the Baton — 'Jōzen wa Mizu no Gotoku' (The Highest Good is Like Water)

Authority delegation is not a technique of 'giving' but of 'letting go.' The predecessor should minimize their presence to allow a natural transition.

Chapter 9: Acquiring Advanced Management Sensibility — 'Ki' (Energy)

Developing a high-level management sense by detecting changes in 'Ki'—the atmosphere and discomfort within an organization that numbers cannot capture—and by reading the invisible 'Ki' alongside visible data analysis to harmonize the environment.

Chapter 10: Awakening Mission and Purpose — 'Chimei Rishitsu' (Know Destiny, Establish Purpose)

Succession is not merely inheriting a position, but a process of 'Chimei Rishitsu'—awakening to one’s 'mission' by accepting fate and deciding how to live one’s life.

Book Overview

Title: Failing vs. Successful Successors: Raising the Next CEO through Eastern Philosophy

Author: Keita Nakatani

Pages: 268

Price: 1,870 JPY (including 10% tax)

Release Date: July 15, 2026

ISBN: 978-4-86667-841-2

Publisher Website: https://www.asa21.com/book/b675989.html

Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/08GxwrsR

Rakuten: https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/18635325/

Consultant holding certifications as Business Succession Specialist, Certified Small and Medium Enterprise Consultant, and Advanced Inheritance Consultant

Author: Keita Nakatani

Executive Officer and Head of Management Support Division, Shinkeiei Service Co., Ltd.

Certified Small and Medium Enterprise Consultant / Business Succession Specialist / Advanced Inheritance Consultant / Certified Support Institution for Management Innovation

Graduated from the Faculty of Law and completed graduate studies at Doshisha University. After serving in executive roles at major consulting firms and operating companies, he now operates as a specialist in 'business succession and successor development.' He has supported approximately 300 SMEs, providing end-to-end services from succession planning based on holistic optimization, to successor and executive development, and post-succession organizational reform. His practical consulting focuses on 'people and organizations'—the key factors determining succession success—beyond mere scheme design or tax strategies. Leveraging his experience as a corporate executive and management practitioner, he is recognized as a hands-on consultant who designs 'succession that functions in the real world.' He has handled numerous high-difficulty cases, including planned closures due to lack of successors or business downturns, family conflicts in family-run businesses, and emergency successions following sudden CEO deaths. He is also actively involved in lectures and writing for business associations, financial institutions, and industry groups nationwide.

Keita Nakatani

Publication Commemoration Seminars Scheduled: Tokyo: September 17 (Thu) & Osaka: October 26 (Mon)

Held in Tokyo and Osaka—ideal as an interview opportunity to hear real-world concerns.

[Publication Commemoration Seminar] Whether a Succession Was Right Is Truly Tested After the Handover! Learning from Eastern Philosophy: The Optimal Solution for 'Succession and Successor Development'

Speaker: Keita Nakatani

[Tokyo Venue]

Date 1: September 17, 2026 (Thu) 13:30–16:30 (Registration from 13:00)

Venue: AP Tokyo Yaesu 13F B Room

KPP Yaesu Building, 1-10-7 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Details: https://chusho-keiei.jp/succession/seminar/6289/

[Osaka Venue]

Date 2: October 26, 2026 (Mon) 13:30–16:30 (Registration from 13:00)

Venue: AP Osaka Chayamachi A Room

ABC-MART Umeda Building 8F, 1-27 Chayamachi, Kita-ku, Osaka

Details: https://chusho-keiei.jp/succession/seminar/6291/

★ New book gift for all participants

About Shinkeiei Service

Company Name: Shinkeiei Service Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: 830 Honkakuji-mae-cho, Kawaramachi Gojo Nishi-iri, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto EH Building 6F

Representative: President and CEO Katsuya Moritani

TEL: 075-343-0770

Established: January 1978

Business Activities: Organizational and HR consulting, business succession and management improvement support, education and training, lectures, and writing

Corporate Website: https://www.skg.co.jp/

Business Succession Support Website: https://chusho-keiei.jp/succession/