Happy CEO

1- Defining the “Why” – Your reason for being

Simon Sinek (1), a renowned authority on leadership and business, has championed the concept of discovering your ‘Why’ as the driving force behind an organization’s success. Your ‘Why’ transcends profits, breathing life into your business and inspiring your team and customers.

“Crafting the blueprint for a purpose-driven business is the art of turning ‘why’ and vision into a mission, where the extraordinary journey of making a difference begins.”

Happy CEO

Your “Why”: The Inspiring Foundation of Your Business In the quest to give your business a clear direction and profound meaning, it is imperative to discover its “Why.”

The “Why” is the driving force that breathes life into every action of your business, captivating your team and appealing to your customers. Your “Why” is the very essence of what drives your business, going far beyond the mere pursuit of profits.

To discover this “Why,” I encourage you to explore the following elements:

Passions and Aspirations:

• What aspirations drive your business?
• What gives it purpose and propels it towards excellence?

Impact on the World:

• What kind of impact do you want to create in the world?
• What needs, problems, or opportunities do you wish to address or leverage?

Distinctive Skills and Expertise:

• What are the talents and skills that make your business unique?
• What does it naturally excel in?

Memorable Experiences:

• What experiences have left an imprint on your business and influenced your vision?
• How have these experiences contributed to shaping your future direction?

Core Principles:

• What are the beliefs that guide your business?
• What fundamental values underpin it?

Once you’ve explored these elements, try to synthesize your “Why” into a simple and powerful statement.

This statement should capture the essence of your business and what makes it unique. Your “Why” becomes the starting point for defining your vision and crafting a meaningful strategy.

“Our reason for being is to [action verb] [what] for [whom] in [where] for [why].”

This “why statement” will help define the vision by providing a clear and concise articulation of the fundamental purpose and driving force behind the organization.

It outlines the core reasons for its existence, which, in turn, serve as the foundation upon which the broader vision is built.

The “why statement” helps to shape the direction and aspirations of the organization, guiding the development of a compelling and forward-looking vision statement.

2 – Defining the Vision

Formulating the Vision Use the answers to create a vision statement that incorporates the “Why.”

This statement should be concise, inspiring, future-focused, reflecting the direction the company wishes to take to fulfill its “Why.”

The vision is a statement that describes the desired future of the company. It paints a picture of what the company aspires to become in the long term, typically over a period of 5 to 10 years.

The vision should be inspiring and ambitious, guiding the company toward a goal that goes beyond mere financial profitability.

The vision focuses on the “what”: it indicates what the company wants to achieve, the outcome it seeks.

A vision is an image of the desired future, not a state to be reached. It is broader and more inspiring than a goal or outcome.

For example:

• “Becoming the global leader in providing innovative solutions for the energy transition” is an objective or outcome, but not a vision.
  
  
• “Making the world cleaner and more sustainable through innovative energy solutions” is a vision.
  

Crafting an ambitious vision: A guide to creating an impactful Vision

Here are some tips for crafting an inspiring vision for your small business:

• Think about the impact you want to have on the world.
• Be ambitious but realistic.
• Make your vision clear and concise.
• Test your vision with others to see if it inspires them.

1. BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) Model:
   This model encourages businesses to formulate a bold and inspiring long-term goal.

“Our BHAG is to ____________ by ____________, in ____________ by ____________.”

Example: “Our BHAG is to create a world where every child has access to quality education, eliminating barriers to learning on a global scale.”

2. SMART Model:
   The SMART model emphasizes setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.

“By ____________, we aim to ____________ in ____________ through ____________.”

Example: “By 2025, we aim to significantly reduce youth unemployment in our region by offering training and employment programs.”

3. Vision Statement Model:
   This traditional model involves formulating a vision statement that describes where the company wants to see itself in the future.

“We aspire to become ____________, offering ____________ to ____________, while ____________.”

Example: “We aspire to create a world where sustainability is at the heart of every decision, where future generations benefit from a preserved environment and improved quality of life.”

4. Inverted Pyramid Model:
   This approach starts by defining the company’s mission, then the vision, values, strategies, objectives, and finally, initiatives.

(Mission) “Our mission is to ____________.” (Vision) “Our vision is to become ____________, by ____________.” (Values) “Our core values are ____________.” (Strategies) “Our strategies include ____________.” (Objectives) “Our objectives are to ____________.” (Initiatives) “Our initiatives include ____________.”

Example: (Mission) “Provide high-quality beauty products,” (Vision) “Inspire confidence and natural beauty through our products, contributing to a more fulfilling society.”

5. Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Model:
   The BSC considers four main perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth. It ensures that the company’s vision is balanced.
   
   Financial Vision : “In the financial perspective, we aim to _.” (
   Customer Vision : “In the customer perspective, our goal is to _.”
   Internal Processes Vision : “Regarding internal processes, we strive to _.”
   Learning and Growth Vision : “In terms of learning and growth, we seek to _.”
   
   
   • Financial Vision: This perspective focuses on financial indicators that reflect the company’s financial success.
     
     Example : “Create a strong financial position that enables funding for our growth initiatives and investment in innovation.”
     
   • Customer Vision: This perspective emphasizes customer satisfaction and creating value for them.
     
     Example: “To be recognized as the most reliable and innovative partner for our customers, consistently exceeding their expectations.”
     
   • Internal Processes Vision: This perspective concentrates on improving internal processes to deliver a better product or service.
     
     Example: “Establishing efficient internal processes that foster continuous innovation and operational excellence.”
     
   • Learning and Growth Vision: This perspective aims to ensure that the company has the skills and capacity needed for long-term success.
     
     Example: “Cultivating a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, investing in the development of our staff’s skills so they can thrive in an ever-evolving environment.”

6. Vision Statement Model with Strengths and Weaknesses Reflection:
   This model starts by reflecting on the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses to formulate the vision. This allows the company to capitalize on its strengths while working on its weaknesses.

“By leveraging our expertise in ____________ and addressing our weaknesses in ____________, we seek to become ____________.”

Example: “By leveraging our technological expertise and addressing our market penetration shortcomings, we aim to become a key player in the cybersecurity industry, protecting global digital privacy.”

Please note that these models and examples are provided to help you formulate a vision statement that aligns with your business’s unique “Why” and goals.

In summary ; Crafting the blueprint for a purpose-driven business

• Defining the “Why” – Your reason for being:
  • The “Why” is the driving force behind your business, going beyond mere profit.
  • Explore passions, aspirations, impact on the world, distinctive skills, memorable experiences, and core principles.
  • Synthesize your “Why” into a simple and powerful statement.
  • This “why statement” shapes your vision and overall strategy.
    
    
• Defining the Vision:
  • The vision statement should be concise, inspiring, and future-focused.
  • A vision describes the desired future of the company, inspiring long-term goals.
  • Use models like BHAG, SMART, Vision Statement, Inverted Pyramid, or Balanced Scorecard to formulate your vision.
  • The vision should guide your organization towards broader aspirations and goals.
    
    
• Vision Statement Model with Strengths and Weaknesses Reflection:
  • Reflect on the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses.
  • Capitalize on strengths while addressing weaknesses.
  • This model helps align the vision with your business’s unique “Why.”

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Peter Drucker

References :

1. The optimism company from Simon Sinek