So are you inspired by drive to Discover! Yesterday, we discussed that a purpose rooted in Discovery involves a love for the new. Tom Watson of IBM was a perfect exponent of this idea. "THINK" was the slogan that he plastered around the company urging his salesmen to think of each situation afresh. He rejected convention, and always preferred the new. Today we discuss Nikos' second of his four moral ideas - Excellence.
Excellence at its essence implies high standards, like those of an artist, defined by the craft itself rather than by the customers; it involves a never-ending struggle to achieve ever higher standards, such as those at Toyota or Apple. Excellent businesses prefer to turn away customers rather than compromise their quality standards. This type of purpose is rooted in the belief that excellent performance is our role in life represents the supreme good. Not that the pursuit of excellence and profit maximization need conflict: Warren Buffet is one of the best examples in modern business of having achieved both.
This is a tricky one! We’re obsessed with excellence and at the same time, we're driven by innovation. As we invent we almost have to reinvent to get something right. Does that mean we settle for less than the standard of excellence? Tough one.
Excellence at its essence implies high standards, like those of an artist, defined by the craft itself rather than by the customers; it involves a never-ending struggle to achieve ever higher standards, such as those at Toyota or Apple. Excellent businesses prefer to turn away customers rather than compromise their quality standards. This type of purpose is rooted in the belief that excellent performance is our role in life represents the supreme good. Not that the pursuit of excellence and profit maximization need conflict: Warren Buffet is one of the best examples in modern business of having achieved both.
This is a tricky one! We’re obsessed with excellence and at the same time, we're driven by innovation. As we invent we almost have to reinvent to get something right. Does that mean we settle for less than the standard of excellence? Tough one.
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