Book Summary Preview : Identity is Destiny

Big Idea
Is your company suffering from an identity crisis?

Corporate identity goes deeper than simply having a logo design updated, or hiring an agency to create a snappy tagline and ad campaign. Organizations can achieve their full potential by living according to their true identity. The core values create a corporate identity that every individual in the organization should believe in and stand up for. A logo design may be updated with every passing trend, but core values and practices are timeless and transcend the organization.

Who are we? What do we stand for?

Organizations that are rudderless, or going in every direction the wind blows, need to seriously rethink their core identity. This means you are in business because of something deeper than profit. If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. Leaders need to recognize corporate identity has a lot to do with your company values and everyday practice, more than the hip new brand image.

For a stronger, healthier sense of who you are, read two chapters every night, and meet your leaders in the morning.

Drawing on years of experience consulting for a wide range of clients such as Fidelity Investments, Maytag and Alcoa, Laurence Ackerman shares how these organizations developed their potential to the fullest, with fresh ideas and concrete strategies for maximizing value-creating potential.

The Identity Credo

I am alive. I am unique. I am immutable, even as I grow and evolve. To truly live, I must express myself fully, and in this regard have much to give. To do so I need others, and am most productive with those who need me in return. To establish these relationships, I must first be recognized for who I am, and it follows then that I will receive in accordance with what I give.

The Eight Laws of the Identity Credo

• The Law of Being I am alive

  Any organization composed of one or more human beings is alive in its own right, exhibiting distinct physical, mental, and emotional capacities that derive from, but transcend, the individuals who make up that organization over time.

• The Law of Individuality I am unique

  An organization’s human capacities invariably fuse into a discernible identity that makes that organization unique.

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