Written by Ronnie Dunn
What can the construction of a wall hundreds of years ago teach us about running a business? Culture eats strategy for breakfast, it’s a famous quote by Peter Drucker, and it means, You can have the best laid strategy for your business; but without the right team and culture, you could still experience catastrophic failure. So what about that wall then? Let’s explore!
The Great Wall was continuously built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of China. It was regarded as a great military defense project of successive Chinese Empires. But why did they build it?
According to some historical accounts, tribes in the north of China were militarily ahead, but culturally behind. They therefore, looted China whenever possible to steal the riches of their southern neighbors. One speculation as to why the Chinese built the Great Wall, was to keep out the barbaric hordes and stop the pilfering. This massive wall was anywhere from 12 to 40 feet wide, and 20 to 50 feet high; Notwithstanding, China was invaded 3 times during the first 100 years of the wall’s existence. But not once did the enemies from the north climb over the wall or break it. They didn’t have to, they found another weaknesses They simply bribed the gatekeeper who then willingly opened the gate and let them march right in.
The fatal flaw in the approach by the leaders of the time, is the vast investment in a physical barrier, while discounting the importance of ensuring the right core values in the gatekeepers. At times, we are all faced with conflicting desires, no one, no matter how spiritual, can avoid this battle. Integrity is the factor that determines which one will prevail. So what does this have to do with business? It gives us an example of how short-term tactical thinking i.e. “doing things right,” can undermine long- term Strategic thinking i.e. “doing the right things.
Guy Ferguson once said, to know how to do a job is the accomplishment of labor; to be available to tell others is the accomplishment of the teacher; to inspire others to do better work is the accomplishment of management; however, to be able to do all three is the accomplishment of true leaders. Putting the right people in the right roles and investing in them is crucial.
Many businesses farm out of the development of mission, vision and values to an outside consultant or the marketing department who then come back with buzz words for business cards, websites and flyers. …. Then wonder why employees do not buy in, and dysfunctionality still exists. An effective leader never strives to explain his vision; he simply invites you to stand beside him and see for yourself. Show your people where this journey leads, and why we want to get there together, bridge that gap, because when the why is clear, the how becomes easy.
You have to rally around it. Get energized by it! And make it so compelling and straightforward that every team member feels motivated!
The philosophy of our company is represented by the acronym SHIRT. It standards for Service with Humility, Integrity, Respect and Trust. When we tell our clients that they have a partner in us that will give them the shirt from our backs, it means that we will exemplify our values by standing beside our customers as they realize their own vision for their organization.
It is something our team believes in, and it doesn’t just hang from our wall, it walks through our halls. We also take this philosophy to our hiring process by ensuring that we only accept people onto our team, and provide a seat on our bus, if they are going to our shared destination … and they are willing to do what it takes to get there. I invite you to bring that leadership to your own team with a resolute focus on not just doing things right, but by also making sure that you are doing the right things.
Written by Ronnie Dunn