Business Vision: Understanding the path to success

Boxers & Briefs Podcast #1: Vision vs purpose with Bruce Sheppard.

In a revealing conversation with Bruce Sheppard, founder and CEO of Gilligan Sheppard, we gain valuable insights into the nature of business vision, purpose, and success. As a serial entrepreneur who has founded multiple successful ventures including the Shareholders Association, Argus, BoardPro, and Kiwi Self Storage, Bruce brings decades of experience to the discussion.

The journey of discovery

Bruce’s journey as an entrepreneur began, like many others, simply as “something to do” after university. It wasn’t until he reached his fifties that he truly understood his purpose. By examining his past experiences and successes, he identified a clear pattern: his greatest satisfaction came from working with good people who were pursuing meaningful goals, creating something new, and fostering joyful workplace environments. This realisation led him to understand that his core purpose was creation – the joy of building something that didn’t exist before and watching both it and others grow.

Understanding purpose, mission, and vision

One of Bruce’s key insights is the crucial distinction between purpose, mission, and vision in business. He explains that purpose is fundamentally about what gets you up each day – your personal “why” that drives you forward. It’s what makes you feel relevant and keeps you and your team motivated day after day.

However, Bruce warns that many stated business purposes are merely marketing or PR exercises. He tests the authenticity of a company’s purpose by examining its behaviours and outcomes rather than its statements. Using his own firm as an example, Gilligan Sheppard’s purpose statement openly acknowledges self-interest: “We enrich our lives by enriching yours.” This honest approach recognises that while the work benefits others, it also satisfies the team’s need for personal fulfilment.

The biblical analogy

To illustrate the relationship between purpose, mission, and vision, Bruce uses a biblical analogy of Moses leading the Jews through the desert. In this story:

• Purpose was the desire for freedom
• Mission was the 40-year journey through the desert
• Vision was the Promised Land – a concrete destination with specific characteristics (the Jordan River, oranges, honey)

Setting and measuring vision

A key lesson Bruce emphasises is that vision must be measurable. “You can’t know that you got somewhere unless you can measure it,” he states. While financial metrics are important, they should be viewed as outcomes rather than the vision itself. A proper vision should define what success looks like in concrete terms: brand presence, recognition, size, scale, and impact.

For Gilligan Shepard, this translated into specific targets: doubling revenue and staff within five years while becoming recognised as the employer and advisor of choice in their field. These goals are specific and measurable, allowing the organisation to clearly identify when they’ve achieved their vision.

Dealing with failure

Bruce also addresses the challenge of failing to achieve a vision. He emphasises that life isn’t a journey of uninterrupted success but rather a path where you might take steps backwards while still moving forward overall. When faced with setbacks, such as missing revenue targets or growth goals, he advocates for:

• Analysing what went wrong
• Adjusting the mission as needed
• Maintaining the core purpose and vision
• Avoiding blame and moving forward

The golden rule of vision

Bruce concludes with what he considers the golden rule of business vision: measurability. While money and metrics are outcomes of activity, a true vision must paint a clear picture of what success looks like. This includes brand presence, reputation, size, and scale – all of which must be measurable. As he succinctly puts it, “If you can’t measure it, it ain’t a vision.”