If you know me, you'll know I'm a fan of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the renowned 19th century engineer. One of my maxims is that designing and operating a great business is akin to a great engineering project:
- Purpose: an overarching proposition of what you offer the world, to whom, and why they'd want it;
- Principles: mutually-reinforcing core principles and values which define and underpin everything you do;
- Vision: a clear, coherent, consistent, and elegant design of how you will make and fulfil your offer;
- Focus: doing what should be done to build that (and not doing what shouldn't);
- Ambition: thinking, planning, and acting for greatness.