Coming soon · Book Profile
Good to Great
A rigorous, data-driven investigation reveals how a small number of companies successfully transitioned from being merely good to achieving enduring greatness by applying a framework of disciplined principles, consistently, over time.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Have you ever wondered why some companies make the leap to greatness while others remain merely good? Jim Collins and his research team embarked on an ambitious five-year study to answer this very question. After sifting through 1,435 companies, they identified an elite group of 11 that made a sustained transition from average stock market performance to results at least three times the market average for fifteen years. By contrasting these 'good-to-great' companies with carefully selected comparison companies that failed to make the leap, Collins uncovers a framework of timeless principles. The findings are often counter-intuitive, shattering modern business myths about celebrity CEOs, technology-driven revolutions, and complex strategy. Instead, the book reveals the power of concepts like Level 5 Leadership (a blend of personal humility and professional will), First Who...Then What (getting the right people on the bus), Confronting the Brutal Facts, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, and the Flywheel effect. This isn't a book of theories; it's a blueprint for building greatness, grounded in mountains of evidence, for any leader determined to transcend mediocrity.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A leader (executive, manager, or entrepreneur) who runs a 'good' organization but aspires to create something truly great and enduring. They are frustrated with mediocrity and are searching for a proven, reliable path to breakthrough performance.
- The problem
- The organization's performance is merely good, not great, and they struggle to achieve and sustain breakthrough results that significantly outpace the market and competitors. They feel a sense of unfulfilled potential, uncertainty about what to do next, and frustration with fads and silver-bullet solutions that fail to deliver lasting change.
- The plan
- Embrace Level 5 Leadership: Cultivate a blend of personal humility and professional will.
- Follow 'First Who... Then What': Get the right people on the bus before you decide where to go.
- Confront the Brutal Facts: Create a culture where the truth is heard, while maintaining faith you will prevail.
- Find Your Hedgehog Concept: Gain clarity on what you can be best at, what drives your economic engine, and what you're passionate about.
- Build a Culture of Discipline: Foster freedom and responsibility within a consistent framework.
- The payoff
- Your organization achieves a sustained leap in performance, becoming a truly great institution in its field. · You build a culture of discipline and excellence that can endure beyond any single leader. · You and your team experience the deep satisfaction of creating something of intrinsic worth and lasting impact.
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Additional reading
- Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock Potential in Yourself and Your Organization · Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
This is the authors' previous book, which provides a deep dive into the ITC framework that is presented as a key tool in Chapter 6 and used by the fledgling DDOs in Chapter 7.
- In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life · Robert Kegan
This book lays out the foundational theory of adult development and mental complexity that underpins the entire DDO concept, explaining the 'adaptive gap' that DDOs are designed to address.
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success · Carol Dweck
The book explicitly references Dweck's work, contrasting the 'fixed mindset' (prevalent in ordinary organizations) with the 'growth mindset' that is fundamental to a DDO's culture.
- Organizational Culture and Leadership · Edgar H. Schein
Mentioned in the book, Schein's work provides a foundational understanding of organizational culture, which is the primary medium through which DDOs operate.
- The Functions of the Executive · Chester Barnard (1938)
Chapter 10 identifies this book as providing the seminal concept of 'willingness to contribute to the cooperative system,' which forms the theoretical foundation for the modern construct of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB).
- The Psychology of Careers · Donald E. Super (1957)
Chapter 3 cites this as a foundational work that established the concept of career stages, a model that has profoundly influenced career development theory and research for decades.
- Decision-making in the employment interview · E. C. Webster (1964)
Chapter 6 highlights this as the key report from the influential McGill University studies, which revealed the cognitive biases inherent in unstructured interviews and shifted the focus of research toward understanding the interviewer's decision process.
- Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures · Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
Multiple chapters (e.g., 13, 15) refer to this document and the related AERA/APA/NCME 'Standards' as the authoritative professional guidelines that define best practices and core concepts, like the modern unitarian view of validity, for the entire field of personnel selection.
- Managing Human Assets · Beer, M. et al. (1984)
This is a seminal book that introduced the 'Harvard framework' of HRM, emphasizing a multi-stakeholder approach that considers the interests of employees, not just shareholders. It provides a foundational 'soft' HRM perspective.
- Strategic Human Resource Management · Fombrun, C. J., Tichy, N. M. and Devanna, M. A. (1984)
This book introduced the 'Michigan framework,' which advocated for a 'hard' HRM approach focused on tightly matching HR strategy to the business strategy (vertical fit). It is a foundational text for the strategic alignment concept.