Traditional business planning fails because it focuses on intellectual exercises like metrics and behaviors. A more powerful approach grounds the plan in purpose-driven questions about service and mission, providing stronger motivation than numbers alone.

The 20th-century view of shareholder primacy is flawed. By focusing first on creating wins for all stakeholders—customers, employees, suppliers, and society—companies build a sustainable, beloved enterprise that paradoxically delivers superior returns to shareholders in the long run.

When leaders are stuck defining their organization's mission, this question forces a shift from generic goals like survival to tangible impact. It clarifies the unique value provided to customers and society, revealing a more motivating and authentic purpose beyond simply 'staying in business.'

To achieve zero blind spots and make zero mistakes, a leader must see through the eyes of all six key counterparties: customers, suppliers, employees, owners, regulators, and the community. By systematically structuring every decision to be a 'win-win' for each of these groups, a business can create a robust, sustainable, and ethical competitive advantage.

Instead of focusing on transactional metrics, Canyon Coffee's core mission is to "add warmth." This value informs all business aspects, from customer service emails and cafe interactions to internal team culture, creating a powerful, human-centric brand identity.

Business is a unique domain where you can pursue selfish goals (building a large, profitable company) and selfless ones at the same time. By building a successful company with ethical, people-first practices, you force competitors to adopt similar positive behaviors to compete, thereby improving the entire industry for everyone.

Beyond finding a market gap, leaders should ask what unique imprint their company leaves on the world. The most powerful justification for a company's existence is providing an essential contribution that no one else would. This reframes the mission from a business goal to an indispensable purpose.

Stop defining a manager's job by tasks like meetings or feedback. Instead, define it by the goal: getting better outcomes from a group. Your only tools to achieve this are three levers: getting the right People, defining the right Process, and aligning everyone on a clear Purpose.

To maintain strong employee engagement, leadership explicitly connects every role—even seemingly mundane ones like cleaning fermentation tanks—to the company's high-level purpose. This ensures every employee understands their specific contribution to enabling a healthier planet.