Product Description

Can a good company become a great one and, if so, how? After a five-year research project, Collins concludes that good to great can and does happen. In this book, he uncovers the underlying variables that enable any type of organization to make the leap from good to great while other organizations remain only good. Rigorously supported by evidence, his findings are surprising - at times even shocking - to the modern mind. "Good to Great" achieves a rare distinction: a management book full of vital ideas that reads as well as a fast-paced novel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #758 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 324 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Five years ago Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company, and if so, how?" In Good to Great Collins, the author of Built to Last concludes that it is possible, but finds that there are no silver bullets to greatness. Collins and his team of researchers began their quest by sorting through a list of 1,435 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements in their performance over time. They finally settled on 11--including Gillette, Walgreens and Wells Fargo--and discovered common traits that challenged many of the conventional notions of corporate success. Making the transition from good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management or even a fine-tuned business strategy. At the heart of those rare and truly great companies was a corporate culture that rigorously found and promoted disciplined people to think and act in a disciplined manner. Peppered with dozens of stories and examples from the great and not-so-great, Collins lays a well-reasoned roadmap to excellence that any organisation would do well to consider. Like Built to Last, Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come. --Harry C Edwards

Review
In 1996 Jim Collins, the author of the US business bestseller Built to Last, was challenged to think more deeply about what makes a great company. 'The companies you wrote about were, for the most part, always great,' came a chance comment, at a conference. 'But what about the vast majority of companies that wake up partway through life and realise they're good, but not great?' This seed of an idea was to grow to occupy Collins, formerly an academic, for the next five years. From his 'management laboratory' in Boulder, Colorado, he set to work to find out whether a merely good company could become great - or whether the disease of 'just being good' was incurable. His first step was to assemble a group of 21 researchers, who then spent six months in intense financial analysis, sifting out from the Fortune 500 list a set of 11 'good-to-great' companies. In the years 1965 to 1995, these all showed 15-year cumulative stock returns at or below the general stock market; then, after a transition point, cumulative returns at least three times the market over the next 15 years. Collins also selected two sets of comparison companies: direct (those in the same industries which did not achieve great results) and unsustained (those which shifted from good to great, and back to good). That was just the start of a myth-exploding research project, now presented in this clearly written and easily read book. It shows that companies that made the 'great' grade rarely had celebrity leaders - in fact, writes Collins, 'going for a high-profile outside change agent is negatively correlated with a sustained transformation', precisely because celebrities are more often concerned with their own egos than the enduring calibre of the company they run. Instead, individuals who run 'great' companies tend to be self-effacing and limelight-shy. Other factors for greatness are shown to be the ability to recruit the right people at an early stage, maintain faith in an end goal while confronting hard facts, develop a culture of discipline, apply carefully selected technologies, build momentum and establish a purpose which goes beyond simply making money. This is a fascinating study, drawing on research insights which apply to other areas of life as well as business. (Kirkus UK)

From the Publisher
The best-selling Built to Last answered the question of what it takes to build an enduring, great company from the ground up. Good to Great answers an even more compelling question: can a good company become a great one and, if so, how?

Customer Reviews

A New Way to Look at Growing Your Business


"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" by Jim Collins was a real eye opener for me.

In this book, Jim Collins, observes 28 companies over the span of 5 years. Over this period of time 11 of the companies make the leap from "Good to Great". The findings in this book were truly eye opening and inspirational. I loved the chapter on Level 5 leadership. Collins starts the chapter using a quote by Harry S. Truman "You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit". This is the essence of the book.

I also loved that in this book he speaks about how the executives that ignited the transformation for companies that went from good to great, did not figure out how to drive the bus, but how to get the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off) and then they figured out where to drive it.

Another book I really enjoyed reading about transformation is Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment by Ariel & Shaya Kane. Any person who is looking to grow their business would greatly benefit from reading both these books.

A Classic work for Leaders
This is essential reading for leaders of organisations. Collins used meticulous research to find out what enables companies to make the leap from good to great. He describes a number of common themes. One is 'level 5 leadership' - self-effacing servant leaders who build and empower their teams. Another is the emphasis on choosing the right people before aligning the strategy. The book is clear, concise and easy to read. If you want to build a high performance organisation then this work must be on your reading list.

A Book That Gets Down To Business
If you are like me and struggle to keep a business running at a profitable level, then you need books like this one. In my opinion, "The Businessman's Bible" is an alternative title for this great and informative text.

This book is gleaned from facts acquired through years of researching the ups and downs of thousands of companies, to learn what works and why, and what definitely should be avoided in the business world.

If you are in business or even contemplating going into business, then you must read this book.

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