This book has been more than five years in the making. Drawing on over two decades of teaching business and management—and an equal span of consulting with companies across industries—I have witnessed firsthand how the priorities of American businesses have shifted. I have worked with both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as executives and entrepreneurs, and the same themes keep emerging: too many organizations have lost sight of their true mission.

Over the last 15 years, the corporate landscape has moved steadily toward prioritizing the bottom line above all else—often at the expense of product quality, employee competence, and long-term productivity. This is in sharp contrast to the corporate values that once made American companies the envy of the world: quality, expertise, innovation, motivating corporate cultures, world-class customer service, and the development of employees. Sadly, many of these values have been watered down—or have disappeared altogether. Conservative fiscal responsibility should indeed remain at the forefront of business operations. But financial discipline must never come at the expense of the very reason a company exists: to serve its mission, its people, and its customers.

The good news is that these values can be reclaimed. Companies can return to their roots, rebuild trust with employees and customers, and rediscover the principles that made them great in the first place. That is why I wrote Make Your Company Great Again—to serve as a call to action and a practical guide for leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs ready to restore purpose and integrity to their organizations.