Tag Archives: CEO

Alright, let’s crack into this with a bit of a yarn about what’s really at the heart of setting a company’s compass, something I’ve been chewing over this morning. The real gem in pinpointing your strategic direction, vision, and mission? Well, it’s the CEO. Yep, that person steering the ship day in, day out. It’s their gig to fire up the engines and make sure we’re all headed towards something meaningful—a purpose that gets everyone, from the boardroom to the break room, buzzing with energy.

“If you ask me, what’s the one resource a CEO should rely on to prove up his purpose or objective? The answer is the customers. It’s outside the organization; I’d be making sure that I’ve met every customer category and tested my purpose on them and got feedback and tuned according to that feedback.” John Puttick

Now, don’t think this is a one-shot deal or that it comes easy. It’s not something you just scribble down over your morning coffee and call it done. No, this purpose, it evolves, shaped by conversations not just inside your company but beyond its walls too. And it’s not static; as your enterprise grows, your purpose needs to stretch too.

See, setting this direction is a bit like mapping out a tough climb—you need a clear, ambitious goal that also turns on your customers and lights up your team. And who better to validate if you’re on the mark than those very customers? They’re the ones who’ll ultimately decide if your strategy is just pie in the sky or the kind of solid planning that’ll make your business soar.

So, if I had to boil it down, finding that strategic north isn’t just about internal musings—it’s about getting out there, engaging with those you serve, and continuously tuning into their feedback. That’s how you ensure your strategic vision isn’t just a pretty statement, but a living, breathing part of your business that drives everything forward.

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John Puttick( Industry Professor )

John Puttick significantly shaped Australia’s IT sector by founding GBST Holdings, which processes about half of the Australian Stock Exchange transactions. He pioneered key enterprise system development techniques and project management methods. As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland and Chair of QUT’s Faculty Development Committee, he has influenced academic programs and IT education. His career blends intense business involvement with substantial contributions to community and education

John Puttick has made a distinguished contribution to the field of IT in Australia through pioneering many techniques for the successful development of large scale enterprise systems including rigorous project management. John Puttick established Star Systems, now GBST Holdings, which went on to become a leading provider of ICT solutions to stockbrokers and banks. In the process GBST Holdings helped establish world standard solutions which are used by both global and local companies, and has resulted in the company’s platform processing approximately half of all the transactions on the Australian Stock Exchange.As Adjunct Professor with the University of Queensland John Puttick has provided advice on course and product development helping to guide the University’s Faculty of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture to a premier position in computer science. Australian Computer Society | Hall of Fame | 2017 As Chair of the QUT’s Faculty Development Committee, John Puttick has helped its transition from a department to a school and now a faculty with a first class reputation for providing IT graduates. John Puttick has successfully combined a demanding business career with extensive community involvement and along the way made major contributions to Australian business by harnessing IT to produce realised benefits for enterprises.