Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great

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It's a hit!

Better than the "real" book for businesses, this is a very practical (and widely read) tome about how to make non-profit organizations great.

 

 

by Jeff Camp

No, it's a flop!

It was good but, I like Good to great better. If a company has a legetimate purpose it should be run like a great company. We should not try to ben... (show more)

It was good but, I like Good to great better. If a company has a legetimate purpose it should be run like a great company. We should not try to bend the rules for companies in the social sector. In fact I thin we should have an even higher standard in the social sector due to the importance of our work. (show less)

 

 

by Chris Craig

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  This book as great research results regarding companies which went from good to great. The book talked of something called “Level Five Leadership”. Of the 11 companies that made the turn to greatness, the CEOs and CFO’s shared some unusual leadership qualities and circumstances.

  Ten out of eleven leaders were promoted from within the company. They were all described as being humble and servant leaders. They would attribute the success to being blessed or lucky but would not take credit th... (show more)

  This book as great research results regarding companies which went from good to great. The book talked of something called “Level Five Leadership”. Of the 11 companies that made the turn to greatness, the CEOs and CFO’s shared some unusual leadership qualities and circumstances.

  Ten out of eleven leaders were promoted from within the company. They were all described as being humble and servant leaders. They would attribute the success to being blessed or lucky but would not take credit themselves. They also would take the responsibility if something went wrong but not credit for the successes. The leaders always put the organization above them, and pushed for great successors when they were making the transition out of the companies. One key thing that characterized the leaders is they all had unbelievable perseverance. Many of the leaders had key life changing events such as a conversion to Evangelical Christianity, a World War II experience and the like. Yet some had no such events in their life. None of them flaunted there wealth and they all lived relatively quit, simple and introverted lives. They all looked at the brutal facts and problems that faced their companies and formulated a simple game plan or “Hedgehog Concept” has the author called it. When they came into leadership they did not just make a whole much of changes and rush into things. They asked the right questions and made sure they were ready to move forward before they started making serious changes. The Author used the bus analogy. “Because first you have to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, put the right people in the right seats, and then figure out where to drive it. People are NOT your most important asset. The RIGHT people are.”

  The Hedgehog concept revolves around three questions; what you are passionate about, what you are genetically encoded for, and what you can get paid for? A mistake is that often companies try to diversify and do what they can’t be the best at. They overextend themselves instead of sticking with the simple things that work. The great companies stay disciplined to never go outside the Hedgehog concept. You can make change if the opportunity presents itself but stay within the three questions. The author argued that new technology can accelerate the business’s success only when the hedgehog concept is in place and followed. If the technology does not fit the hedgehog concept, then you don’t need it. Great Companies never make decisions based on fear but take the time to act on reason and understanding. They take the time to ask the right questions before they act.

  I thought it was interesting how some of the companies that went from good to great no longer exist or are tryingto stay afloat (Circuit City, Fannie Mae). It must be hard to stay great (I should read his Built to Last book). A lot of unbiased research was done on this project and I am grateful for their work and time (10 years worth of combined research). (show less)

   

  by Matthew on May 14, 2009 at 08:27PM

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  I wont sing the praises too highly here, because I am leery of Collins' approach. But its good to finally have a substantial guru acknowledge the challenges and needs of running non-business orgs.

   

   

  by Adam Fletcher Sasse on Jan 31, 2008 at 12:26PM

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