McKinsey: How ALJ—a ‘75-year-old start-up’—leads with purpose

We wanted to be part of the disruption in mobility—we looked for ways to be disruptors rather than to be disrupted-Hassan Jameel

 
What do Rivian electric vehicles, renewables innovation, empirical philanthropy, and a Nobel Prize have in common? A Saudi Arabian company called ALJ—and a family’s sense of purpose, say its leaders.

If the wind blows,” goes the well-known Arabic proverb, “ride it.” The idea is to capture opportunities whenever they arise, from whatever direction—and to allow their flows to propel you onward, even if the ultimate destination is uncertain or the route shifts along the way. Catch the wind, and off you go.

Or so it may appear. In fact, in today’s increasingly complex, immediate, and diverse global economy, this maxim can be confounding. How early can you detect when the winds begin to kick up, and in which direction do you look to catch them? How far are you willing to go once your journey begins? And, perhaps most difficult of all, how do you build an organization that weaves intelligent risk taking into its character, awareness into its makeup, and a long-term compass in its sense of direction? The reality is that catching the winds is more about steering with purpose than it is about riding by chance. Opportunities are generally not arrived at by accident.

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