Collins Sets the Path for Ambitious Leaders: How to Reach Greatness

Good to Great Book Review

Jim Collins Good to Great is as simple as it sounds: the book explores how companies transition from good to great, and why some companies never reach greatness. While this concept sounds complex and arduous, Collins does an exceptional job laying out a clear path, and all the necessary steps, for managers to take to promote greatness rather than settling for being good or mediocre. Collins and his research team are transparent with readers about not only their own experiences and thoughts but also the process of creating the book and determining what to include and what can be relegated to the trash bin. The combination of Collins’ teams’ intent with their intensive research process makes it so Good to Great is able to provide reliable and research-based evidence of what separates great companies from good companies, and more specifically how management plays a role in this differentiation.

The Hedgehog Concept is a simple and resourceful tool companies can use to help all workers focus on the company's core values, motives, and purpose. The Hedgehog Concept includes three essential questions that all individuals must ask themselves: Are you passionate about what you are doing? Can you make money doing what you are doing? Could you be the best in the world at what you are doing? It’s management’s responsibility to ensure the Hedgehog Concept is imbued in the culture of the company and understood by all company members, and empowered to respond if they believe the company strays outside the three circles. The idea of adhering to this concept may sound easy, but one of the biggest challenges regarding this concept is the willingness a company must have to decline opportunities that don’t fall inside its Hedgehog Concept. Many workers, regardless of level, are driven and encouraged by incentives, so it may be an adjustment for certain individuals who work best having reward-based motivation. This aspect of the Hedgehog Concept may contribute to a company’s lack of ability to adhere to the concept for a long time, as an opportunity may become more appealing to certain workers after committing to the concept and not seeing immediate results. If a company decides to utilize the Hedgehog Concept, they must fully commit to the process and more importantly, the manager must reassure doubtful workers when times get rough and accommodate workers who are incentive-driven. A valuable aspect of the Hedgehog Concept is that individuals may not realize how often they rely on the different components of this concept. Passion, the ability to succeed, and the ability to make money are three objectives that drive everyday life decisions made by the typical person. So, while the Hedgehog Concept may seem complex, when a company is able to clearly determine and distinguish its three circles and dismiss outside, and potentially internal pressures, the company is on the path to greatness.

A section in Collins' book that has only grown in importance since published is the role technology plays in good companies and great companies. Collins and his team investigate how companies include technology into their companies, and which companies were effective in this area. Collins proposes a shocking idea: A company won’t become great just because of advanced and expensive technology, but rather greatness is determined by how the company applies technology to its existing strengths. The growth of technology and individuals' reliance on it has impacted almost all aspects of everyday life, good or bad. Good to Great tells readers that companies whose vision and goals are driven and reliant on technology will never reach greatness. While technology can be valuable to most companies, it will prove to be most effective if used as a tool to help accelerate efforts that directly fall into the three categories of the companies’ Hedgehog Concept.

Jim Collins published Good to Great in 2001. This information proposes two things: first, many of Collins’ findings are timeless. Collins' book was published two decades ago but the core principles and themes remain applicable and beneficial if applied within a company today. But, this also forces readers to consider what may be outdated in this book. One undeniable idea is that technology has rapidly advanced and has become more widespread and accessible today. While Collins' technological findings are reflective of the companies he researched at that time, readers must be aware that times have changed and in turn, companies must keep up with the times.

Jim Collins Good to Great is a very informative management book that aims to help readers understand how good companies transition to great companies, and he did this by comparing real-life companies. Collins' ability to provide concrete evidence to support his teams’ findings and advice, and the team’s transparency regarding the creation process, encourages readers to trust Collins’ ideas and implement these ideas and concepts in their own work life. Collins did an extraordinary job presenting his team’s findings to readers, but ultimately it is up to the reader whether or not they want to take Collin’s advice and suggested steps to achieve greatness. While Collin’s book is targeted more towards leaders and managers, all individuals would benefit from reading Good to Great as many of the ideas and concepts have application for anyone in the business world.