Making Great from just Good

Someone mentioned to me that one area of this blog that they like was the summary and recommendations for business books, namely leadership ones, so I thought I would post another one (again, any suggestions on what to post about is welcome).

Another excellent reading is "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. Required reading for anyone who is or plans to be a leader.

I would like to summary one of the books' comments on leadership.

1. First Who . . . Then What?

His and his team's research shows that those companies who went from good to great, focused on getting the "right people on the bus" and then figured out where to drive it. If found that People are not your most important asset BUT the RIGHT PEOPLE are!!!! oh, and make sure they get in the right seats as well.

2. Confront the Brutal Facts

"You muyst maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, ANd at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current realit, whatever they might be." Remember, I have spoken about "the Will to Win Cannot be Beat!" here you go.

3. A Culture of Discipline

"All Companies have a culture, some companies have discipline, but few companies have culture of discipline. When you have disciplined people, you don't need hierarchy. When you have disciplined thought, you don't need bureaucracy. When you have disciplined action, you don't need excessive controls. When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of enterpreneurship, you get the mgical alchemy of great performance." if you are in a hierarchal environment or one that has bureaucracy, or ones that pose abusive controls, the company could be good but will NEVER be GREAT! Because it does not have trust the staff to do the right thing and therefore clients ultimately get burned because of slow service, no innovation, and a substantial turnover from the people are are top performers (why would they want to be in that environment).

Harry S Truman once said "You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who get the credt." Have you been in a situation, where someone else takes credit? I am sure you have . . . think about. . . where is that person now . . . probably not very different from where they were . . . because ultimately people find out who should get credit . . .

In "Good to Great", there are five levels of leadership, with the top level for driving a good to great organization as being called Level 5 Executive, who builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend o fpersonal humility and professional will. These leaders channel their ego needs away from themelves and into the larger goal of building a great company (bottom line: it's NOT about them, but the Company). It's not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious -- but their ambition is FIRST and FOREMOST for the INSTITUTION not THEMSELVES. Think about that now . . . how do your most senior leaders feel? It is about them or the company? Are they making decisions or doing things to better themselves or the organization. People have and will leave over this . . . why would anyone want to work in an organization where the most senior staff are "in it for themselves" because this is not a long term solution and ultimately they are discovered and removed.

"good to great" is a excellent book, easy reading, you can pick it up and read a chapter here and there and still be able to take something away.