Great companies are defined by their purpose.
They know that People and Brands with purpose do more , achieve more .
Here are three shining examples :
DISNEY’S PURPOSE :
to make children smile
COCA COLA’S PURPOSE:
to create open happiness
STARBUCK’S PURPOSE :
to inspire and nurture the human spirit ,one person, one cup, one neighbourhood at a time
Guess what, it’s no different for great individuals. It’s what makes them great champions of life .
Let’s explore this , as it’s often not that easy to spot where the greatness is coming from :
Bill Gates is driven by a defined higher purpose:
To empower people to do more
Through windows he empowered millions around the globe and became the richest man in the world, but there is more – he is now empowering millions through the work his foundation does to combat infectious dis-eases – especially amongst the poorest .
Some might argue he is losing the battle for the title of the richest man in the world to Spanish tycoon Amancio Ortega – when Zara shares surged recently , but that would be missing the point.
To date , Bill Gates has donated nearly 40 billion dollars of his personal fortune though his foundation – to ensure more children ,and young people, survive and thrive.
South African born Elon Musk also has a potent higher purpose in life:
To elevate humanity.
He sees the world through a different lens, continually asking the question:
What’s going to affect mankind the most in the foreseeable future, what is not working – let’s go and fix it
Elon Musk’s world is an exponential one, where one plus one no longer equals two.
He reads it as:
1+1 = 11.
And he has only just begun
Adrian Gore has turned discovery into a gamification machine – having adopted business guru Michael Porter’s “Shared Value” business model – where customers, society at large and the business all benefit.
Discovery has built an established and aspirational brand in medical aid, insurance and boutique investment offerings. Now it is digital abundance which is driving their next move into the banking world . Disruption springs .
But, behind it all lies a burning desire of its founder ,with a purpose:
To inspire and help people to do life better.
In sport, it’s no different for those who reach the pinnacle – and stay there for protracted periods of time .
AB de Villiers talks about many things in his latest autobiography, but behind his success is a clear understanding of what it takes to be great.
It comes from a home environment that reinforces a bigger picture; one that serves as a constant reminder of good fortune, one that inspires champions to make the most of their advantages.
AB knows that he is blessed with unbelievable physical talent, which many people do not have.
He has the opportunity and privilege to be able to use his sporting genius:
To entertain, to educate and to enrich the lives of others
For AB de Villiers, sport is far bigger than winning or losing.
History also shares with us, what it takes to be great.
Nelson Mandela’s purpose:
To create freedom for all
For Nelson Mandela it was a never ending story – his legacy now playing an ever more important role in our lives. Purpose lives on. It is never complete .
Winston Churchill’s:
To inspire hope
In Britain’s darkest hours, he knew that if Britains gave up hope- they would lose the war .
Even though he must have had grave doubts as a leader, he never ever showed it.
You are not here to merely make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.– Woodrow Wilson
Purpose happens when one’s passion meets the universe’s need.
One goes on to share what one is expert in and great vision and great value gets imparted to the world.
You may say that in this article I have used examples of great champions only , and how does it relate to someone who is just doing an ordinary job – living an ordinary life.
Simple, human greatness inhibits every single one of us.
We are all great at something.
It’s our human task to unlock and unleash our own unique greatness.
How about the toilet cleaner at Oliver Tambo International who welcomes foreign guests to our country with a smile and his opening line: Welcome to my office.
He sees his job as far bigger than just cleaning toilets.His purpose :
To make people smile.
Ok, what’s yours? What are you great at ?
Here’s mine:
To unlock and unleash human potential.
Next week, I will be doing some more of just that, with an exciting move into online education – anybody, anytime, anywhere.
Look out for the launch of the first online short course at THE GAME PLAN: Here’s a sneak preview: CLICK ON LINK BELOW:
PERSONAL BRANDING. Power up you game, Power up your brand
Till then, go great
The two most important days in your life – are the day you are born and the day you figure out why – Mark Twain
Rob Opie is a Brand Strategist, Speaker, Author and Performance Coach to Business executives, Corporate teams, Sports teams and Individuals.
GET IN TOUCH . robopie@thegameplan.co.za
Find our more about the game -changing THE GAME PLAN METHOD .
- Rob’s latest book: The Game Changers: Good to Great to Greater is available FREE to readers as an instant digital download on his site : www.thegameplan.co.za
