There’s a well-known song by Alejandro Sanz with a chorus that says: "When no one sees me, I can be or not be..."

That’s the reality for every person—and every company: we can be or not be when no one is watching.

Now, imagine your company—or the one you work for—as a conscious being. With a voice, a brain, and a heart.

If it had self-awareness,
would it recognize itself?

If it could speak,
would its voice be clear or would it tremble with every word?

If it could think and feel,
would it only be what it sells, or also what it inspires?

A company’s identity is not its logo, its tagline, or its marketing strategy. It’s not just the product or service it offers. Identity is what’s visible—but, more importantly, what isn’t. It’s the awareness that guides each decision, the voice unafraid to be heard, the thoughts that shape its vision, and the feelings that make it truly memorable.

It’s not just a name in the market—it's a story in the making.

Is a company’s identity its story or its future?

Heraclitus once said: “No one ever steps in the same river twice.” Everything changes—and so do companies.

The big names we all recognize today weren’t born memorable. They became what they are by evolving with intention, without losing sight of what made them unique.

A company can define itself by what it has been—or by what it wants to become.

If your company disappeared tomorrow,
what would people remember about it?

What legacy would it leave behind in the minds of its clients and employees?

Is a company’s identity discovered or built?

Plato believed true identity lies in connection with the eternal Ideas. Aristotle, on the other hand, argued that identity is shaped through action and experience.

Applied to business, that question becomes inevitable:

Is a company’s identity something that has always been there, waiting to be uncovered? Or is it something shaped by every decision it makes?

If identity is built, what values, principles, and actions are shaping yours today?

If it’s discovered, how can you look beyond the metrics to truly understand what your company means in people’s lives?

Is a company what it offers—or how it makes people feel?

Descartes said: “I think, therefore I am.” In business, we could reframe it as: “They remember me, therefore I exist.”

Customers don’t just buy products or services. They buy trust, confidence, inspiration, belonging.

When someone hears your company’s name, what emotions does it spark?

Does it inspire loyalty, admiration, meaning? Or is it just another option on a list of providers?

Do the people who work there feel like part of something with identity and purpose—or just another cog in the machine?

Freud spoke of the id, ego, and superego. Translated into business:

The ego is your operational reality—your day to day.
The id is your desire—your hunger to grow.
The superego is your purpose—your highest aspiration.

If those three aren’t aligned, the company ends up in conflict with itself.

Is identity something a company says—or something it shows?

It’s easy to list values in a deck—but are they really lived day to day?

If a company claims to be innovative, does it actually challenge the norm—or just follow the same patterns as everyone else?

If it says its people come first, do employees feel heard, valued, and part of something bigger—or is that just branding copy meant to sell, not to be?

Socrates said: “Know thyself.” But, how well does a company really know itself?

Identity isn’t defined by statements. It’s defined by decisions, by experiences, by every interaction—with a customer, a supplier, a team member.

Without identity, there’s no memorability

When a company’s identity isn’t clear, what it says, does, and believes starts to blur. It becomes just another player in the system—functional, maybe, but soulless.

Without identity, a company can’t inspire. It can’t connect. It can’t leave a mark.

It’s just one more option in a crowded sea.

But when there is identity, there’s coherence. There’s purpose. There’s a story that connects those who build the company with those who choose it.

Because identity isn’t just an abstract concept—it’s what turns a business into a brand that lives in people’s minds and hearts.

So, who is your company when no one’s watching?

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Who is your company when no one is watching?