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While some might describe South African business leader and philanthropist Mark Lamberti’s rise to the pinnacle of professional achievement as meteoric, it’s likely Lamberti himself would characterize the trajectory otherwise. Lamberti’s steady ascent to the top was not the consequence of a powerful, unbridled force unleashed, but rather, the culmination of steady and well-calculated ascent informed by educationally based research, fueled by singularly focused energy, and governed by strict adherence to a self-imposed, purpose-driven mission drafted in the early days of a long and remarkable career.
How Taking Responsibility for His Actions Shaped Mark Lamberti’s Life
Well before he charted a course in the corporate sector, Mark Lamberti had already determined accountability was a central tenet in his own personal belief system. It’s something he’s remained committed to in both his public and private personae ever since.
His inclination to study commerce gave way to his father’s belief that he was better suited to engineering. In the second year of his engineering degree, while running through a shady forest, Lamberti experienced a profound moment of insight. “Like a flash of lightning it came to me,” he recalled during a WBS Leadership Dialogues event at his MBA alma mater, the prestigious Wits Business School in Johannesburg. “I said, ‘This is my life. This is not my father’s life. It’s not going to be my wife’s life or my children’s life. This is my life.’ And that was not a statement of selfishness — it was a statement that I was prepared to accept responsibility for my life.” This resulted in him dropping out of engineering to follow a different star as a professional musician for almost five years before refocusing his education and career on business.
Using Mission to Measure Accountability
There are many notable mission statements in the business world. For example, with a focus on creativity and offbeat, often one-of-a-kind offerings, online retail giant Etsy’s motto of “To keep human connection at the heart of commerce” champions their pledge to deliver a more uniquely personal customized shopping experience. Meanwhile, the marching orders for Recreational Equipment Incorporated (better known worldwide simply as REI): “To inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship,” speaks not only to the superior quality of their outdoor merchandise, but also affirms the environment-forward values the company shares with its target consumers.
Catchphrases such as the aforementioned logo lines serve an important function in helping consumers identify brands that appeal to their tastes and are in keeping with their ethical standards. However, Mark Lamberti asserts that as much as a company’s mission statement should define its core identity, it should also serve as a benchmark for accountability. Any action undertaken in a company’s interest must be measured against this yardstick to determine how well it does or does not align with the values and goals set forth in their mission statement. Having a clear one is a valuable tool that quickly allows you to assess an action and give it a thumbs up or down, he notes.
For this reason, Lamberti contends a mission statement must encompass much more than a clever one-line rubric. “A mission is not a byline,” he said. “A mission is a comprehensive statement of what assets and competencies you’re going to use to achieve your vision.”
To Make it Matter, You Must First Write it Down
Throughout his professional career, Lamberti has embraced an absolute unwavering belief in mission-driven strategy, and the first step in that strategy is to get it down on paper. “Nothing is worth anything until it’s written down,” he shared with an eager audience of up-and-coming MBA students. “We can all have great ideas in this room, but until we’ve written those down on a piece of paper and subjected [them] to debate among ourselves… only then does it come alive.”
In July 1989, at age 39, Lamberti crafted a mission for Massmart, the corporation he grew from a string of six stores to one of the largest retail entities in South Africa. “It was unchanged for 19 years. We measured ourselves against that mission. We reported to investors against that mission, and it’s in the annual reports — you can go and see… For 19 years, we lived by that mission,” he declared.
How a Personal Philosophy Became a Lifelong Mission
Mark Lamberti has authored several corporate mission statements over the years, however, it’s the personal mission statement he crafted that he holds most dear. Also written in 1989, the philosophy he envisioned on a leisurely Saturday afternoon was more involved than a “to-do” list.
“I had thought about it for a long time, and let me just be clear, a mission statement is not a set of goals,” he clarified. “It’s not a set of objectives. A mission is not what you want to have. A mission is who you want to be… So it endures beyond your goals for this year or your five-year goals, [and beyond that].”
Once finished, Lamberti gave the statement to his wife. “I said, ‘This is who I want to be. Now tell me when I screw up.’ And then I gave it to my children, my daughter, Julia and my son, David. I said, ‘This is who I want to be. Now tell me when I screw up.’”
Lamberti reports this personal mission has since been passed along to every person who’s ever reported to him. “It’s setting yourself up to be accountable… so that people know who they’re dealing with and they also know that you’re human,” he explained. “It’s also been like a kind of a lighthouse… When the seas get rough, you are guided by a mission that enables you to say yes or no to situations or people that support or obstruct the desired direction for your life.”
Learn more about Mark Lamberti here: https://www.markjlamberti.com/
English (US) ·