Good To Great By Jim Collins
Five years of research, one question: why do some companies make the leap while others never do? Still essential.
Jim Collins and his research team spent five years studying companies that went from ordinary to extraordinary—and stayed there. Good to Great is what they found.
The book opens with a line that has stuck with business leaders ever since: good is the enemy of great. Being good enough is comfortable, and comfort is exactly what stops most organisations from becoming exceptional. Collins compared each one with a similar company that failed to make the same leap, which is what makes the conclusions so convincing.
Crucially, Collins didn’t start with a theory and look for evidence. He started with the data and let the findings surprise him—and they often did.
Pivotal takeaways
- First who, then what. Get the right people on the bus—and the wrong people off it—before deciding where to drive it.
- Find your Hedgehog Concept. Focus on the intersection of what you can be best in the world at, what drives your economic engine and what you’re deeply passionate about.
- Confront the brutal facts. Great companies face reality head-on while never losing faith that they’ll prevail.
- Build momentum like a flywheel. There’s no single defining moment. Greatness comes from consistent pushes in the same direction until momentum takes over.
Why it’s a must-read
At Pivotal, we believe focus is a superpower. Collins’ Hedgehog Concept is one of the clearest tools we know for deciding what to do—and, just as importantly, what to stop doing.
Some of the companies featured have since stumbled, but the principles hold. Discipline, humility and focus never go out of date.
His findings on “Level 5” leadership are equally striking. The leaders behind the greatest transformations weren’t celebrity CEOs, but quietly determined people who put the company ahead of themselves.
Rating: ★★★★☆
A landmark business book. Read it with a notebook, and be honest about where your business really stands. The questions it asks—about your people, your focus and your discipline—are uncomfortable in the best possible way, and the answers will shape your strategy for years to come.
Your challenge. What could your business be the best in the world at? Share in the comments, and let’s find your hedgehog.