,Testimonials
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Paradox
Chapter 1The Foundations
Chapter 2The Leadership
Chapter 3The Intangibles
Chapter 4The New Way
Chapter 5The Future
Conclusion: The Enlightened
Appendix
The CEOs and Their Companies
Bilbliography
About the Author
Index
CHAPTER 1
The Foundations
Purpose and Vision | Strategy and Structure
What Is the Reality?
Leadership is not an ideology … it is a reality! Leading is not about personality, style, or power.
It is about acts of leadership. Leading defines a path for your followers and then leads them through
the “twists and turns” of that path. Leading during the good and the bad times. Leading in the face
of change and even when the odds are stacked up against you. Giving credit and taking credit when
credit is due but also taking responsibility when things go wrong. Making decisions that are tough
and even unpopular, but nevertheless, making that decision!
Employees invest faith, hope, and trust that their CEO can instill a sense of purpose and set a vision
for their organization. Purpose and vision are expedited through strategy and structure so that the
,organization grows and delivers safely, sustainably, equitably, and profitably. Let’s not allow this
faith, hope, and trust to be to no avail. CEOs do not need to be technical masters in all of the
functions that make up an organization in its totality, but they do need to have and hold the “big
picture” and have a semblance of understanding on them all. As Harvey from the American drama
“Suits” would say, “It’s your goddamn job to know.”
The leadership reality in this chapter looks at how CEOs lay out and position their purpose, vision,
strategy, and structure. That is, the foundations on which their organizations sit upon. More so,
how these foundations unfold and evolve to best facilitate high performance. How, by building on
these foundations, a CEO steers and navigates their organizations with humanity toward a robust
trajectory of growth.
I am curious as to how these foundations laid down by CEOs for their organizations convert into
action and how and why the practices and behavioral choices aligned to these foundations are
delivered in the way they are.
Do employees understand the reasoning and rationale behind the purpose, vision, strategy, and
structure of their organizations? Are your employees aware of the difference their organization is
making in the world? Have you painted a vivid and imaginative picture of how the world will look
once your organization’s purpose has been realized? What are the core strategies that must be
undertaken? Do they even care? And what types of structures best support the strategy so that
purpose and vision are realized?
Ben Page, CEO, Ipsos MORI, encapsulates the seriousness of the foundations laid down by the
CEOs through an analogy:
I often describe it using the analogy of a painter. The more senior you become the larger your
paintbrush becomes. So you stop doing miniatures and you’re now doing Rothko. You can’t do
miniatures the size of Rothko’s.
Purpose and Vision
“Purpose” continues to take a well-deserved stand at the tables of organizations. Why? Because it
is the raison d’être for your organization’s existence. Your organization begins and ends with
“purpose”—it provides employees and other stakeholders with meaning and should aptly be at the
front and center of the organization to foster a shared sense of “we’re in this together.”
Keryn James, CEO, ERM, says:
Ultimately it is the CEO’s role to ensure that the purpose is clearly articulated and that the values
of the organization reinforce the delivery of that purpose are lived.
A common purpose unifies employees. It helps them understand the organization’s direction and
helps to align organizational capabilities to deliver the strategy. Purpose provides impetus for
action by galvanizing your employees to do their best work and to see how their role relates to it.
It is why we are here and what we are doing to make a difference in the world. Therefore, it is
, essential that employees and all stakeholders understand the organization’s purpose. To this end,
it has to be both resonate and relevant, and CEO Ben Page reiterates this sentiment:
Growing up as a junior in the organization I used to think that mission/values were trite bullshit,
but the data show that knowing what is going on makes a 40 percent point difference in
understanding the goals of the organization. Why are we here? Where do we want to go? What do
we want to be like? What are we trying to do? People want to be part of something that is bigger
than them.
Ben illustrates this by sharing a story,
Have you heard the NASA JFK story? During the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, President
Kennedy announced that their mission is to put a man on the moon by end of the decade. So he
goes down to NASA space center and he is having a pee in the loo and he asks the janitor who is
sweeping the floor what do you do and he answers by saying Sir I am working to put a man on the
moon.
“Purpose” is beyond maximizing shareholder value. It is about “our” value as an organization and
our contribution to the world, over and above products and profits. Purpose considers the whole
ecosystem—an ecosystem that embraces a holistic perspective and takes on board, broader societal
issues. It is the motivating force moving, guiding, and delivering the organization to its perceived
goal. It is the driving force and the intangible link that pulls the organization together to achieve
success while connecting, building, and maintaining interests and relationships among multiple
stakeholders.
Mark Hoplamazian, CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, advocates that “purpose” considers the wider
ecosystem. He says:
At Hyatt, we have a purpose statement, which is: “we care for people so they can be their best.”
In this expression, we capture many dimensions. We focus on care, not service, which a lot of
hospitality companies have historically focused on. We talk about caring for people and not just
guests. But first and foremost, our colleagues. We manage hotels for third party-owners
(institutions or individuals who own our hotels), and we have a duty to them so we care for them
as well. The other key constituency is members of the communities in which we operate. Be good
neighbors and good corporate citizens.
Alongside the organization’s purpose, unquestionably, a key responsibility of a CEO is to develop
a vision for their organization. Vision paints the picture for how purpose will be realized and sits
at the core of the organization’s strategy. Vision is what the collective organization aspires to. The
CEO defines the direction that they would like their organization to take and then seeks buy-in
from all stakeholders to establish fundamental working principles in the pursuit of executing that
vision. In my conversations with CEOs, “vision” in terms of setting strategic direction was stated
as a key component of their role as CEO.
Xavier Rees, CEO, Havas London and Havas Helia, says that
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Paradox
Chapter 1The Foundations
Chapter 2The Leadership
Chapter 3The Intangibles
Chapter 4The New Way
Chapter 5The Future
Conclusion: The Enlightened
Appendix
The CEOs and Their Companies
Bilbliography
About the Author
Index
CHAPTER 1
The Foundations
Purpose and Vision | Strategy and Structure
What Is the Reality?
Leadership is not an ideology … it is a reality! Leading is not about personality, style, or power.
It is about acts of leadership. Leading defines a path for your followers and then leads them through
the “twists and turns” of that path. Leading during the good and the bad times. Leading in the face
of change and even when the odds are stacked up against you. Giving credit and taking credit when
credit is due but also taking responsibility when things go wrong. Making decisions that are tough
and even unpopular, but nevertheless, making that decision!
Employees invest faith, hope, and trust that their CEO can instill a sense of purpose and set a vision
for their organization. Purpose and vision are expedited through strategy and structure so that the
,organization grows and delivers safely, sustainably, equitably, and profitably. Let’s not allow this
faith, hope, and trust to be to no avail. CEOs do not need to be technical masters in all of the
functions that make up an organization in its totality, but they do need to have and hold the “big
picture” and have a semblance of understanding on them all. As Harvey from the American drama
“Suits” would say, “It’s your goddamn job to know.”
The leadership reality in this chapter looks at how CEOs lay out and position their purpose, vision,
strategy, and structure. That is, the foundations on which their organizations sit upon. More so,
how these foundations unfold and evolve to best facilitate high performance. How, by building on
these foundations, a CEO steers and navigates their organizations with humanity toward a robust
trajectory of growth.
I am curious as to how these foundations laid down by CEOs for their organizations convert into
action and how and why the practices and behavioral choices aligned to these foundations are
delivered in the way they are.
Do employees understand the reasoning and rationale behind the purpose, vision, strategy, and
structure of their organizations? Are your employees aware of the difference their organization is
making in the world? Have you painted a vivid and imaginative picture of how the world will look
once your organization’s purpose has been realized? What are the core strategies that must be
undertaken? Do they even care? And what types of structures best support the strategy so that
purpose and vision are realized?
Ben Page, CEO, Ipsos MORI, encapsulates the seriousness of the foundations laid down by the
CEOs through an analogy:
I often describe it using the analogy of a painter. The more senior you become the larger your
paintbrush becomes. So you stop doing miniatures and you’re now doing Rothko. You can’t do
miniatures the size of Rothko’s.
Purpose and Vision
“Purpose” continues to take a well-deserved stand at the tables of organizations. Why? Because it
is the raison d’être for your organization’s existence. Your organization begins and ends with
“purpose”—it provides employees and other stakeholders with meaning and should aptly be at the
front and center of the organization to foster a shared sense of “we’re in this together.”
Keryn James, CEO, ERM, says:
Ultimately it is the CEO’s role to ensure that the purpose is clearly articulated and that the values
of the organization reinforce the delivery of that purpose are lived.
A common purpose unifies employees. It helps them understand the organization’s direction and
helps to align organizational capabilities to deliver the strategy. Purpose provides impetus for
action by galvanizing your employees to do their best work and to see how their role relates to it.
It is why we are here and what we are doing to make a difference in the world. Therefore, it is
, essential that employees and all stakeholders understand the organization’s purpose. To this end,
it has to be both resonate and relevant, and CEO Ben Page reiterates this sentiment:
Growing up as a junior in the organization I used to think that mission/values were trite bullshit,
but the data show that knowing what is going on makes a 40 percent point difference in
understanding the goals of the organization. Why are we here? Where do we want to go? What do
we want to be like? What are we trying to do? People want to be part of something that is bigger
than them.
Ben illustrates this by sharing a story,
Have you heard the NASA JFK story? During the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, President
Kennedy announced that their mission is to put a man on the moon by end of the decade. So he
goes down to NASA space center and he is having a pee in the loo and he asks the janitor who is
sweeping the floor what do you do and he answers by saying Sir I am working to put a man on the
moon.
“Purpose” is beyond maximizing shareholder value. It is about “our” value as an organization and
our contribution to the world, over and above products and profits. Purpose considers the whole
ecosystem—an ecosystem that embraces a holistic perspective and takes on board, broader societal
issues. It is the motivating force moving, guiding, and delivering the organization to its perceived
goal. It is the driving force and the intangible link that pulls the organization together to achieve
success while connecting, building, and maintaining interests and relationships among multiple
stakeholders.
Mark Hoplamazian, CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, advocates that “purpose” considers the wider
ecosystem. He says:
At Hyatt, we have a purpose statement, which is: “we care for people so they can be their best.”
In this expression, we capture many dimensions. We focus on care, not service, which a lot of
hospitality companies have historically focused on. We talk about caring for people and not just
guests. But first and foremost, our colleagues. We manage hotels for third party-owners
(institutions or individuals who own our hotels), and we have a duty to them so we care for them
as well. The other key constituency is members of the communities in which we operate. Be good
neighbors and good corporate citizens.
Alongside the organization’s purpose, unquestionably, a key responsibility of a CEO is to develop
a vision for their organization. Vision paints the picture for how purpose will be realized and sits
at the core of the organization’s strategy. Vision is what the collective organization aspires to. The
CEO defines the direction that they would like their organization to take and then seeks buy-in
from all stakeholders to establish fundamental working principles in the pursuit of executing that
vision. In my conversations with CEOs, “vision” in terms of setting strategic direction was stated
as a key component of their role as CEO.
Xavier Rees, CEO, Havas London and Havas Helia, says that
