Thewholeobjectofbeinginbusinessistocreatenewthings,makethemandsellthem.Anythingelseismerelywindowdressing.Theessenceofanybusinessiscreativity.Thereisnoreversegearincommerce—ifyouhaveaproblem,youhavetoinventasolutionratherthantryingtouninventwhatisalreadythere.Thisispartofthereasonwhybusinessissochallenging.
Toreallymaketherightthingshappen,youneedsevenelementstobeinplace:
Onceyoubringthesesevenelementstogether,yoursuccessorfailurethenflowsfromtheethicsyouenshrineandyourabilitytoputthoseethicsintoaction.Inbusiness,ethicsareeverything.Ifyoucancreateacompanyyou'reproudof,thatdoesthingsyoufeelgoodaboutandthatgenuinelytakesasteptowardsmakingtheworldabetterplace,thenyou'veachievedsomethingveryworthwhile.Andstrangeasitmayseem,thebiggeryourenterprisebecomes,thehardertheethicalquestionsalsobecome.
“Successformeiswhetheryouhavecreatedsomethingthatyoucanbereallyproudof.Profitsarenecessarytoinvestinthenextproject—andpaythebills,repayinvestorsandrewardallthehardwork—butthat'sall.Nobodyshouldberememberedforhowmuchmoneytheyhavemadeinlife.Whetheryoudiewithabilliondollarsinyourbankaccountor$20underyourpillowisactuallynotthatinteresting.That'snotwhatyou'veachievedinlife.Whatmattersiswhetheryou'vecreatedsomethingspecial—andwhetheryou'vemadearealdifferencetootherpeople'slives.Entrepreneurs,scientistsandartistswhodiedaspaupersareoftentheheroes.Inbusiness,asinlife,allthatmattersisthatyoudosomethingpositive.”