Lodestars of Breakthrough Success

Nothing of much significance has ever been achieved, and nothing of much value has ever been created, that wasn't, at some time the point of someone's single-minded focus, the object of someone's intense curiosity, the subject of someone's deep passion, and the product of someone's enduring courage.

Think of any significant achievement, discovery, invention or development in modern history: setting foot on the Moon, ending apartheid, transplanting a human heart, cleaning the environment.

Think of composing a symphony or staring down a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square or translating the Bible or climbing Mount Everest or beating cancer and then winning the Tour de France seven years straight.

In business, think of Lee Iacocca as he saved Chrysler, or Sam Walton as he built a chain of discount stores, or a couple of obscure college dropouts as they set up Microsoft and took it public. Think of Google. Think of eBay.

Could any of these things, or anything else that rises to their level, have happened without this laser-like focus, this bold curiosity, this all-consuming passion, and this persevering courage?

Perhaps these four forces—focus, curiosity, passion and courage—are the sine qua non of breakthrough success. They are absolutely essential. What's more, in teams they build beautifully on one another. They bring people together and hold them together. They define the very culture of a high-performance team.

Yet, astonishingly and inexplicably, most companies give only lipservice to these four vital forces. In most organizations, these four lodestars are so routinely ignored and neglected as to be mere afterthoughts. Frankly, we cannot recall hearing a single business leader offer a single coherent sentence about all four together.

So let us redefine the engagement of a workforce as a culture with a high and ever-rising tide of focus, curiosity, passion and courage. Imagine the impact that it could have. Imagine the potential of your own people. Imagine the places you could go, the work you could do, the standout company that yours could finally be.

Now ask yourself: What would full focus, curiosity, passion and courage look like in your industry? How would their presence differ from the present state?

More to the point: What did you do yesterday, and what did your fellow leaders do yesterday, to build, sustain and nurture a culture of single-minded focus, intense curiosity, deep passion, and enduring courage?

What are you doing about it today? What will you do tomorrow? What can you do today? Tomorrow?