I will start off with a quote from the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. “If you’re doing something you care that much about, and you believe in its purpose deeply enough, then it is impossible to imagine not trying to make it great. It’s just a given.”
This book is all about putting into practice the principles that were outlined in this book to move something from being just good or mediocre to great. Of course, you have to have the desire and passion, to want something to become great. I want to encourage you to not settle for an occupation that just pays the bills or a hobby that just fills time. Find something that you believe in and will want to see it become GREAT. Jim Collins mentions in his book that you don’t necessarily need to find a job or career that you believe deeply in its purpose, but just find something. Whether it be a hobby, a family, an organization, a non-profit. Just find something that you are passionate about and that you can help turn from good to great.
Quick Hitters
In this section of the book review, I will point out some sections of the book that I especially liked and will try to use in my own life, character, and/or ministry.
1. I believe the most important part to this book and turning your organization, ministry, or company from good to great is to have the right people on board and the wrong people off. There is a saying that I have heard numerous times now that says, “Hire slow, Fire fast.” You want to hire and get the right people on your team. Whether they are paid or not, you want the best of the best. Everything starts with people. On the other side, if there are people that do not want to get on board and are not helping move the mission and growth of the organization then they have to get off the bus. When you get the right people on board it will dramatically improve the organization and multiply its effectiveness. Jim Collins’ study showed that starting with the mission and vision first is wrong. We should start with who first and get the right people on our team. Once you get the right people on your team and the wrong people off then you start talking about vision, vision, vision. First Who…Then What.
2. Another principle that Jim Collins and his team found in their study is called the Stockdale Paradox. This paradox states that one retains faith that you will prevail in the end and at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your current reality. To have a great organization/team the leader must always be looking forward and must always be planted on the ground at the same time. My pastor always talks about how the leader is trying to get the organization from here to there. You cannot know how to get to there until you know where you are starting from, the here. All of these companies, that went from good to great, had leaders that were present in the here and now, but also, looking forward to what the company could become. One last point on this quick hitter, the Stockdale Paradox mentions the brutal facts. The facts of your current situation might be brutal; don’t try to sugar coat the facts and make your current situation sound and look better. Know the facts and have faith in the future.
3. The last quick hitter is that of building up and breaking through. All of the companies that were highlighted in this book as being great companies didn’t become great overnight. It was a process. They all had a period of buildup before their breakthrough. They all had a plan and worked the plan tirelessly and with discipline until they reached the moment of breakthrough and became a great organization. In life there are those people that win the lottery and those bands that have one hit wonders, but for the most part, a disciplined process is the key to greatness. Have a plan and work the plan. Buildup and Breakthrough.
Those are my quick hitters that I learned from this book:
First Who…Then What
Know the facts and have faith in the future
Buildup and Breakthrough
The book by Jim Collins, Good To Great, is an easy read that really outlines some lasting principles to change your organization or ministry into something great. The overall virtue that I got from this book was that of disciplined. Most of these companies that Collins outlined weren’t anything special, but every single one of them was disciplined enough to excel and to become GREAT.
Read the rest of the book for yourself. There is much more to learn and only a limited amount of time.
On Second Thought 