GOOD TO GREAT

"GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF GREAT. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life." - Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great

One of my favorite all-time books on building a great organization is Good to Great by Jim Collins. If you are serious about building or leading a great organization, this book is a must-read.

Collins and his staff compiled information from companies that made the leap from good to great compared to their counterparts in the same industry. The book is research-based and not constructed on opinion. There are many "big" ideas from the book, but today I want to relate what Collins' research revealed about the leaders of the companies that went from good to great.

Collins termed the leaders of these organizations as Level 5 Leaders. Contrary to what most people believe about leaders of successful organizations, these were not individuals with big, celebrity personalities. They were men and women who combined extreme personal humility with intense professional will.

He further identified three qualities of these Level 5 Leaders:

• They train successors for success
• They are compellingly modest
• They have unwavering resolve

Is the leader of your organization a Level 5 Leader? Are you a Level 5 Leader? 

What steps does a Level 5 Leader take to build a great organization? 

The steps, as Collins outlines, are simple in concept and I will share those in future posts.

Seriously, you should read this book!

Please post your comments below.