Good to great
Good to Great by Jim Collins is by far the best business-oriented book that I've ever read. I can see why it has gained the notoriety and respect from top level executives around the world. I have read other business type books which were more of a motivational lecture than actual years of research going into the making of one text. Before reading this book, my preconceived notion was that I would be lost in trying to understand executive jargon. That was not the case at all. Jim Collins did a great job of portraying his ideas and findings in an easy to understand manner that anyone can comprehend. Also, the graphs and illustrations were a useful tool in grasping the ideas he was trying to get across. After reading the book, I was impressed to learn of the concepts and characteristics that may aid me in the pursuit of personal greatness. Overall, there were many ideas in the book that I found interesting and educational. But, the insights that I feel have made the biggest impression are those which I will be discussing. The three insights I will be focusing on are the Level 5 leadership, getting the right people on the bus (First Who...Then What), and the Hedgehog Concept. The first concept is the idea of a Level 5 lead
It was interesting to learn that during the research of this project, Collins and his team were not in search of a Level 5 leader rather, due to the data collected, it was found. The second concept from Good to Great that I found interesting was that of getting the right people on the bus, "First Who. The fox always tries to out smart the hedgehog with his attacks, but fails each time because the hedgehog knows all he has to do to succeed is roll in a ball and wait for the fox to retreat. They don't mind working a little harder or putting in longer hours because they're doing it for the love of the company not for themselves. I felt each chapter was extremely informative and it was hard to find a something missing from the book. They have found their passion and are great at what they do. Each great company was like a hedgehog in that, they knew what worked and stuck with it despite early, slow results. Collins states, "If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we'll figure out how to take it someplace great". Another one of Collins' findings about executive compensation was interesting. Many of the comparison companies had the potential to become great, but those companies could not reach that level without a certain leader and that is what separates the two. After retiring, he made a quote that describes why he is a Level 5 leader. It was this change that separated Walgreens from the rest and why they continued to consistently out perform their competitors. I found this story pretty inspiring, because it shows by putting the needs of others first, the company in this case, that the rewards are great. Collins and his team found this concept to be a great metaphor with the good to great companies.
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Acceptance Essays
