Imagine a world in which your employees are inspired to come into work every day because growing your business is what gives them their sense of purpose. Or a world in which customers are so inspired by your products that they don't even consider buying from your competitors. How about a world in which the company's direction and the opportunity it presents is so clear and inspiring, the CEO has the absolute and enthusiastic support of the Board of Directors and his/her executive team?

Are you thinking this is unreal? Pollyanna-ish? A pipe dream? Not serious business? It isn't surprising because most people think this kind of thing is only for “special” companies like Apple, but not for them. They are resigned to the belief that “real” business is about hard work and toil, and that inspiration happens outside of business hours.

The reality is that the inspiration that drives companies like Apple is neither accident nor happenstance. It is achieved by design and hard work because it is considered a business asset that is absolutely essential to its quest for innovation, competitive advantage, the ability to attract the best talent and ultimately its profitability. So for companies like Apple, being inspiring has a substantial cash value. In other words, it is a need to have, not a nice to have. Apple's investment in inspiring its stakeholders is dwarfed by the financial return it receives. This is why every company needs to be inspiring.

The first step in creating an inspiring company is to identify what truly makes you uniquely remarkable. We call this your Core Definition.