Why Companies Succeed or Fail | Book Insights on Good to Great by Jim Collins

*Most great companies enjoyed years of obscurity before their great results compelled the world to look at them. In fact, they seemed just like any other company until a certain ‘transition point’ saw them leave the pack behind. 

*These leaps into greatness did not occur through revolution. Contrary to popular opinion, these firms did not get in an expensive new CEO to turn things around. 

*This is actually the mark of a mediocre company. And although the remarkable results of great companies sometimes make it look like their success happened quickly, the ‘leap’ only happened after years of effort, what Jim Collins calls ‘pushing against the flywheel’. 

*The great companies all had leaders that were surprisingly humble, not charismatic, and put in place a culture of total honesty. 

*Once the company was crystal clear on its reason for being, it could be super-ambitious and vault past any competitors.

Theme 1: A People-first Strategy - 0:29

Theme 2: Brutal Honesty & High Ambition - 8:20

Theme 3: Disciplined Action - 20:08

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HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEWS MENTIONED IN TODAYS' EPISODE HERE:

Collins, Jim. “JIM'S SEVEN QUESTIONS: LEARNING FROM YOUNG LEADERS.” Jim Collins - Articles - Good to Great, www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/media.html#fyoungleaders.

Full Title: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... And Others Don't

Year of Publication: 2001

Book Author: Jim Collins

To purchase the complete edition of this book click here: https://tinyurl.com/48hx2f8v

Book Insight Writer: Joe Aitken

Editor: Morwenna Loughman

Producer: Gabe Mara

Production Manager: Karin Richey

Curator: Tom Butler-Bowden

Narrator: Kristi Burns