Good to Great Themes

While Jim Collins’s study of how good companies become great ones focuses specifically on large corporations that fit the “good-to-great” model, he makes it clear from the start that the principles discussed throughout the book are intended to apply beyond the business world. Collins and his research team focus on companies because their stock value offers a clear measure of success and because information about this success over time is readily available…

The idea that people are an important component of any company or organization is nothing new. However, Jim Collins goes beyond this commonplace wisdom to claim that having the right people in the right roles within a company is an essential foundation without which the company cannot truly succeed. According to Collins’s model, people are the essence of sustainable greatness, rather than just one component of it. However, Collins’s idea of the “right” people rests…

The idea of duality emerges as a key foundation of Jim Collins’s findings. In nearly every aspect of successful companies, Collins reveals two essential truths that coexist with each other, rather than one overarching truth. Furthermore, these pairs of truths usually seem to be in opposition, which presents companies with the challenge of balancing them effectively. While having to face seemingly contradictory demands might seem like a setback for an organization or company seeking…