It's Not Always Cold in the True North

AI cannot interpret corporate bullshit or fill gaps with common sense like humans do. As AI systems make more decisions on behalf of companies, vague mission statements and meaningless values become operational liabilities that expose the gap between what organizations claim to stand for and what they actually do.

More than half of traditional corporate enterprises list “Integrity” as a corporate value. Beautiful. Makes the shareholders feel all warm inside. Of course, these are also the same companies incentivizing employees to crush quarterly targets first and maybe tell the truth later if there’s bandwidth left over. Need proof? Wells Fargo has collected more scandals than Prince Andrew, all while “integrity” gleamed from their corporate website like a participation trophy.

That charade is ending.

AI isn’t just rewiring how companies operate. It’s forcing them to face who they actually are. Those cringe-worthy mission statements and inspirational wall art floating around corporate offices are about to become operational code. No more hiding behind managerial poetry.

When algorithms make decisions, they won’t charitably interpret your intentions, fill gaps with common sense, or translate your corporate word salad into something workable. They’ll do exactly what you tell them to do. Which means you better know what your organization actually stands for, not what sounds good in the annual report.

The AI revolution has delivered an unintended consequence: it demands radical honesty about organizational identity. Companies that thought they could coast on generic corporate speak are discovering that artificial intelligence has zero tolerance for executive fluff and managerial nonsense.

The Illusion of North

Let’s start with a humbling cosmic truth: cardinal directions are complete human fiction. “Go West” made for a catchy disco tune, but in the vast indifference of space, it’s meaningless advice. Despite what leadership gurus preach, there is no “True North”—not in business, not anywhere.

In the universe’s grand scheme, up and down are quaint suggestions. Even on this spinning rock called Earth, “North” is just a convenient lie—a cognitive crutch we invented to avoid wandering in circles. Other species manage fine with “warmer” versus “colder,” but humans needed something more abstract to feel superior.

We pointed at the Polestar or magnetic fields and collectively agreed to pretend a specific direction held objective truth. Cardinal directions? Pure fabrication. But a remarkably useful one.

This shared delusion prevents collective paralysis. Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, and Roald Amundsen would testify that this convenient fiction helped them reach places they’d never have found otherwise. Without agreed-upon coordinates, “forward” becomes opinion, and collaboration becomes chaos.

Without this invented framework, teams drift toward whatever feels comfortable instead of working toward what matters. We create these coordinates not because they’re carved into reality’s bedrock, but because alignment among humans requires a shared narrative—a story we can all believe in. Stories about there (where we want to go) versus here (what we’re escaping), whether those destinations are real or imagined.

This is organizational identity’s function. Purpose, Vision, Mission, Values, and Principles serve as our narrative compass points. They’re mental constructs—intangible and invented—but they’re the useful fiction that keeps groups moving in the same direction rather than meandering toward whatever seems warmest.

Do you like this post? Please consider supporting me by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s just one coffee per month. That will keep me going while you can keep reading! PLUS, you get my latest book Human Robot Agent FOR FREE! Subscribe now.

Purpose: Your Existential Anchor

Organizational purpose answers the most fundamental question any entity faces: Why should you keep existing? Not “how do you extract profit.” (That’s survival mechanics, not purpose.) We’re talking about the difference you’re attempting to make, the human need you address, the reason anyone should care you showed up.

Purpose functions as your North Star—that fixed reference point that remains constant while everything else shifts. Microsoft’s purpose wrestles with human potential and technological empowerment. That’s not marketing copy; it’s an existential commitment that survives strategy pivots and market chaos.

Most companies mistake busy work for purpose. They confuse what they do with why they matter. Real purpose transcends quarterly earnings calls and survives leadership changes.

Purpose: Why do we exist? (my example)

To reimagine collaboration in the age of intelligent agents.

We help organizations shift from hierarchical control to networked alignment—enabling ethical, adaptive collaboration between humans and machines.

We don’t champion any single platform, protocol, or product. We build conditions for a future where no one actor owns how we work together.

Vision: Your Destination Beacon

Vision statements answer a deceptively simple question: What do we want to become? Not your current reality, but the compelling future state you’re building toward. Think of it as your organizational GPS destination—the point on the horizon that helps navigate when paths get messy.

Purpose is your moral compass (why you exist); vision is your destination (where you’re headed). Purpose connects to larger human needs and rarely changes. Vision peers 5-10 years ahead and describes the world you’re trying to create.

Google’s vision “to provide access to the world’s information” paints a clear picture of barrier-free knowledge. Effective vision statements walk a tightrope: ambitious without being delusional, inspiring without being vague, specific enough for direction while broad enough for creative execution. Most fail because they’re either too grandiose to believe or too generic to be useful.