Be a clock builder, not a time teller

In the book of Jim Collins "Built to last - successful habits of visionary companies" he explains that it is more important to be a clock builder than a time teller. This is a useful analogy simply because we all make the same mistake by trying to guess what the next big thing will be or over extending ourselves to develop products. Being a clock builder means to build a system or a structure that allows great things to happen. For example, if your company does not have a leadership programme to develop next generation leaders, it's not busy with clock building.

The company itself is the ultimate creation

The company is not a vehicle for products but the products is a vehicle for the company. Sony Corporation for example was started with a few core values and a clear vision, without even knowing which products they were going to sell.

Great leadership is not the distinguishing variable

Collins found that two companies could have similar good quality leaders, but one leader does not make a company great. What makes a company great is being able to foster great leadership and good products on a continues basis as a result of the systems that are in place that allows it to happen, not the other way around.

Boeing, Wal-Mart, Sony, General Electric and Ford has one thing in common that separated them from the rest: They focused on the core values of the company and built systems to foster those values throughout the organization.