Business is becoming more and more a matter of intellectual prowess. Business success is based ever more directly and speedily on the abilities of the people in the business world to change, foresee trends, take acceptable risks, be more in tune with the needs of today's customers and to set their stalls out for the myriad economic and social changes that are occurring. To seize advantage in these ways is not a matter of brute force, but one of finely honed intelligence, coupled with genuine qualities of character and a continuous dedication to staying ahead in the race. Just as athletics demonstrates continuously that not only does an athlete have to be in good shape but also in the right frame of mind to win, so it is with business.

The difficulty is that, while few will contradict these statements, few also follow the logic of their beliefs through to a coherent and consistent philosophy which imbues their company from top to bottom. Nor will you find these issues the subject of endless board debate and introspection. Even companies which have a clearly expressed and understood company style, to which they attribute their company advantage, have come across it more by accident than by planning. Some companies are proud of their restless style of management, which is never satisfied with its achievements, but this characteristic derives as much from the character of the chief executive as from deep philosophical debate.