ields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . "WhMany business owners sincerely believe they understand their company brand. They can describe it, quantify it and explain its place in the market. They can recount corporate history and accomplishments and detail future plans and goals. These are all necessary items for communicating a company's brand message, but they are also the most superficial ones. These descriptive attributes tell us about what the business does, but not who the company is. The true power of a brand does not come from the what, where, when and how. It comes from the "who" and "why."

Think about it for a minute. Almost every organization can cite what they do, where their offices are located, when they started and how they do what they do. It's the same in science and many other fields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . "Who

lishments and detail future plans and goals. These are all necessary items for communicating a company's brand message, but they are also the most superficial ones. These descriptive attributes tell us about what the business does, but not who the company is. The true power of a brand does not come from the what, where, when and how. It comes from the "who" and "why."

Think about it for a minute. Almost every organization can cite what they do, where their offices are located, when they started and how they do what they do. It's the same in science and many other fields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . "Wh

s tell us about what the business does, but not who the company is. The true power of a brand does not come from the what, where, when and how. It comes from the "who" and "why."

Think about it for a minute. Almost every organization can cite what they do, where their offices are located, when they started and how they do what they do. It's the same in science and many other fields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . "Wh

out it for a minute. Almost every organization can cite what they do, where their offices are located, when they started and how they do what they do. It's the same in science and many other fields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . "Whields. Experts explain how things work, but not why they work. The real effort, the real sweat and tears, comes from digging deeper beneath the surface and asking the tough questions . . . "Who are we as a company and why do we do what we do?"

This exercise requires some honesty, reflection and soul searching on the part of those in leadership. Perhaps that's why Henry Ford said, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it." This exercise may seem like splitting hairs, but the results can be profound. The early owners of the railroad industry deemed themselves invincible because they owned the railways. They could describe their business in very specific terms, including the miles of track, the number of boxcars, the annual revenues. But these wealthy business owners eventually faltered because they never realized who they were… providers of mobility. In this broader, more expansive view, they