“Aspirations are the guiding purpose of an enterprise.”

“Aspirations are the guiding purpose of an enterprise. Think of the Starbucks mission statement: ‘To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.’ Or Nike’s: ‘To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.‘ (The additional note, indicated by the asterisk, reads: ‘* If you have a body, you’re an athlete.’) And McDonald’s: ‘Be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat.’ Each is a statement of what the company seeks to be and a reflection of its reason to exist. But a lofty mission isn’t a strategy. It is merely a starting point

As a rule of thumb, though, start with people (consumers and customers) rather than money (stock price). Peter Drucker argued that the purpose of an organization is to create a customer, and it’s still true today. Consider the mission statements noted above. Starbucks, Nike, and McDonald’s, each massively successful in its own way, frame their ambitions around their customers. And note the tenor of those aspirations: Nike wants to serve every athlete (not just some of them); McDonald’s wants to be its customers’ favorite place to eat (not just a convenient choice for families on the go). Each company doesn’t just want to serve customers; it wants to win with them. And that is the single most crucial dimension of a company’s aspiration: a company must play to win.”