Building That Institution... Part III

From responsibility and legacy in the first part to continuity and
courage in the second part -- finally, we come to the last act of
this series... "intentions" and "cooperation".

"The public has become pretty cynical about big business and
for good reason. Sometimes our cars were so bad, they felt we
built them that way on purpose." - Lee Iacocca

Isn't it incidental? Lee Iacocca... hmm... Toyota..?? Although
Chrysler was plagued with management and sales problems
and Iacocca became its saviour, Toyota was a little different.
But, can you and your organization survive and thrive if you
deliberately produce defective products? Wait. Did I say
Toyota "intentionally" did that?

Well... "intentions". That's the starting point of any undertaking.
It's like soul searching. Are you going to play to win, or sell your
game just to earn a few bucks? Will you be fair and sportsman
like? Or are you going to take the game by hook or by crook?
Intentions. Objectives. Vision. The torch you need before
starting a journey.

Did Toyota lack one? Certainly not. They come a long way now
for people to just judge them like that. Like all other "institutions",
their vision was good and constantly marketed and sold quality
cars.

What happened then? It's the passing of the torch, it simply
failed to give light to everybody concerned.

In short, vision should be shared and cooperation mustered --
ad infinitum. It's a Leadership Issue. Quality control was just a
branch of the tree. As a Leader, you should not merely unite
your people into one force but look into the effects of your
actions before proceeding.

"Virtually all economic activity in the contemporary world is
carried out not by individuals but by organizations that require
a high degree of social cooperation." - Francis Fukuyama

See, to aim high is not a problem. Aspiration is what makes
this world advance. However, to shoot for the stars without
considering where your arrow will land is the problem.

To build that institution, do not put too much weight on dollars
but get other leaders and organizations to play fair and realize
their accountability as well.

You earn not just a living through people but more, therefore,
make sure you deserve their trust.

With their continued trust, an institution is in the making.

Remember…
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of
business." - Henry Ford