In reading this article about Adolph Kiefer, a 90-year old legend among Olympic swimmers, I learned something about mission statements. Kiefer, an Olympic medalist from the 1936 games, has owned a catalog company supplying all types of aquatic equipment for 61 years. He’s also the inventor of many things that swimmers take for granted today–nylon swimsuits, lane markers that stay in place, and stylish starting blocks.

The most fascinating tidbit from the article (other than reporting that Kiefer continues to swim every morning in his ninth decade of life) is that "Kiefer…never enforced one of his 14 patents, in part because he believes his improvements ought to be available to purchasers of every brand, and in part because he thrives off the success of other brands." In other words, the pie only gets bigger when we share.

And the mission statement of Kiefer’s company? It can be summed up by this quote from his nephew, William Fischer, who manages the business:

"[Adolph Kiefer’s] goal has always been to make swimming safer and available to everyone."

Simple, easy to understand, and compelling. I wish all mission statements were like that.