We had a great moment in a recent client session. The team was working to define their Purpose, Cause or Passion. When you get that right, it gives everyone in the company a clear statement of “why we exist." At its best, this becomes the emotional heart of the business. It’s not something most of us are trained to think about, let alone put into words, so leadership teams often struggle to get it right.

If you've been reading Alabama Entrepreneur for a while, you know that I have always been obsessed with identifying and adopting the habits of what I call the "five percenters" - the top five percent of the most successful entrepreneurs. I've spent 30 years studying reasons why some companies achieve outrageous levels of success that far exceeds that of their peers.

I had an aha moment in my Focus Day with a new client on Friday.

A few years ago a national retailer, after analysis of its worst performing stores, decided to close the worst of the worst. On that list was a store that had it baffled. It was a good location in a good trade area with plenty of traffic and great visibility. But, it continually lagged behind other stores in the system.