The Tim Ferriss Show

#483: Jim Collins on The Value of Small Gestures, Unseen Sources of Power, and More

Dec 2, 2020

In a captivating discussion, Jim Collins, the acclaimed author of 'Good to Great,' shares insights from his extensive research on successful companies. He emphasizes the significance of small gestures and mentorship, revealing their profound impact on personal growth. Collins explores the Stockdale Paradox, demonstrating how hope and reality coexist in adversity. The conversation also touches on the pivotal role of disciplined leadership and authentic purpose for enduring success, inspiring listeners to reflect on their own legacies and the power of collaboration.

02:46:25

Episode guests

Jim Collins

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Effective mentorship can be transformative, providing guidance and opportunities for growth.

Crafting thought-provoking questions fosters transformative conversations and personal ownership of ideas.

Studying leaders with shadow elements offers valuable insights on navigating complex landscapes.

Combining purpose and profit leads to success, as exemplified by Patagonia.

Successful companies embrace both seemingly opposing ideas, achieving outstanding results.

Deep dives

Bill Lizzier: A Mentor for Growth and Belief

Bill Lizzier was a pivotal mentor in the life of the speaker. They met by chance in a course, and Bill took a genuine interest in the speaker's growth and development. He believed in the speaker and provided guidance and support. Bill became a project for the speaker, constantly asking questions and challenging them to reach their full potential. His belief in the speaker led to a significant opportunity when he recommended the speaker to fill in for another professor. Bill's mentorship was transformative, as he taught the speaker the importance of seizing opportunities and not wasting their shot at success.

Honoring the Legacy of Bill Lizzier

01:30

Embracing Mortality and Reaching Out to Mentors

01:53

Choose your words wisely

01:35

The Stockdale Paradox and the Importance of a Single Map of Concepts

01:31

Intro

2min

Innovative Fitness and Philanthropy

8min

Embracing Mentorship and Meaningful Experiences

25min

Reflections on Mortality and the Value of Mentorship

4min

The Power of Biographies in Leadership and Growth

23min

Legacy and Trust: Mentorship Lessons

31min

Understanding the Stockdale Paradox

8min

Navigating Creativity and Emotional Well-being

18min

Building Enduring Companies

13min

10.

Building a Lasting Legacy

26min

11.

Reflecting on Legacy and the Joy of Collaboration

2min

12.

Curated Discoveries and Innovative Fitness Solutions

5min

13.

Maximizing Philanthropic Impact Through GiveWell

2min

Jim Collins (jimcollins.com) is a student and teacher of what makes great companies tick and a Socratic advisor to leaders in the business and social sectors. Having invested more than a quarter-century in rigorous research, he has authored or co-authored six books that have sold in total more than 10 million copies worldwide. They include Good to Great, the #1 bestseller that examines why some companies make the leap to superior results, and its companion work Good to Great and the Social Sectors; the enduring classic Built to Last, which explores how some leaders build companies that remain visionary for generations; How the Mighty Fall, which delves into how once-great companies can self-destruct; and Great by Choice, which is about thriving in chaos—why some do and others don’t.

And now he’s updating his debut book, Beyond Entrepreneurship, for the 21st century. Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company is now available.

Please enjoy this round two with Jim Collins! (And if you haven’t already, make sure to check out round one here.)

This episode is also brought to you by GiveWell.org! For over ten years GiveWell.org has helped donors find the charities and projects that save and improve lives most per dollar. Here’s how: GiveWell dedicates over twenty thousand hours a year to researching charitable organizations and hand-picks a few of the highest-impact, evidence-backed charities. Since 2010, GiveWell has helped over 50,000 donors direct over 500 million dollars to the most effective charities. Most importantly, these donations will save over 75,000 lives and improve the lives of millions more.

This year, support the charities that save and improve lives most, with GiveWell. Any of my listeners who become new GiveWell donors will have their first donation matched up to $250 when you go to GiveWell dot org/Tim and select “PODCAST” and “Tim Ferriss” at checkout.

This episode is also brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.

Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!

For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.