Pop quiz: Who are you? What do you do? And why is it important? In other words, why does your company matter? For the first two questions, you should be able to give confident, concise answers and break down any complexities into simple terms. These responses need to be easily digestible for your audience. But what makes your company special? Relevant? Valuable? Your audience is searching for reasons to trust you and connect with your company. Without purpose, you will never build the kind of loyalty truly great brands inspire. By building an authentic, successful brand for your company, you will find your place in the market and be able to assess how you stack up against the competition.

Thomas Edison said, “Discontent is the first necessity of progress.” It was his much more eloquent way of asking, “What’s the problem?” Companies all over the world run into barriers hindering the flow of revenue, productivity, innovation and growth every day. Evolution is dependent on recognizing opportunity. The most successful companies in the world are always trying to get better, find what’s next, inspire their followers—do the impossible.

The scenario: You come to a decision-making crossroads. Faced with adversity, risk, or uncertainty, you freeze—and wait. There are too many unknown variables. You don't feel confident enough to choose a direction and move forward. The stakes are too high. You claim you're being patient—you don't want to make a rash decision. But as much as patience can provide discipline and a rational outlook, it can also become a vice when it isn't followed by decisive action.