Here are two. Dow Chemical is “Driven to constantly improve what is essential to human progress.” That may sound simple but it took months to reach this insight. The breakthrough came when, for the first time in the company’s history, we were able to trace Dow’s then-$20 billion in product sales to 10 end-use markets including health care, transportation, building and construction, and water purification. Chemicals, plastics and agri-products were what Dow made, not who they were.
Another example is Lockheed-Martin who is all about “Serving critical institutions at their moments of truth.” What we discovered were five distinct capabilities which, together, highlighted how the company developed original military, economic, and social solutions, globally. Those five capabilities were a 1) bias for performance, 2) a passion for invention, 3) a deep comprehension of consequences, 4) an affinity with vital institutions and 5) an aptitude for whole-system thinking and action. In short, Lockheed-Martin was much more than a generic defense contractor.