Rating: 
Summary: Why some companies are great and some are not
Review: "Good to Great" by Jim Collins is all about transforming average companies to great companies. Collins and his researched team selected eleven great companies and contrasted with their comparison companies (who they feel are average) to understand why some companies make the leap and some don't. The team discovered that to be a good to great company needs to have a Level 5 leadership. Level 5 leaders are leaders who are humble, fanatically driven, understand the need to produce sustained results and they set their successors for even greater success in the future. The leaders also understand the need to get the right people in their organization before figuring out where to drive it. As Collin puts it "First who, then what."In addition, they understands the "Hedgehog Concept." To quote directly from Collins, a Hedgehog Concept is a concept "to understand what your organization can be the best in the world at, and equally important what it cannot be teh best at - not what it "wants" to be the best at." It is "not a goal, strategy or intention; it is an understanding." It is also essential for the organization to build a culture of self-disciplined people (as getting disciplined people would limit the bureaucracy needed to compensate for lack of discipline), uses technology wisely (avoid technology fad), good to great transformation doesn't just happen with one single action, no grand program but instead follows a pattern of buildup and breakthrough. The organization is also able to confronts the reality of the company's current situation as the right decisions would follow subsequently. "Good to Great" is truly an insightful book and it is very well-researched. His points are well presented as he uses analogies and stories to back them. It is an easy read as his tone is very conversational. There are some jargons but it is not too difficult for the average reader to understand. I like the way he structures the book with "key points" and "unexpected findings" at the end of each chapters. I find that helpful and the "unexpected findings" are quite interesting. For instance, 80% of their 84 interviews did not mention technology as one of the top five factors in their transformation. In addition, Collins considers "Good to Great" more of a prequel to his other bestseller, "Built to Last" as many would expect his second book to be a sequel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the transformation of good to great companies.
Rating:
Summary: Aim To Be Great, But Never Cease To Be Good
Review: This book gives the reader anecdotal information on how some companies have gone from being good (meaning just OK) to becoming great (meaning highly successful). In business, that comes down to making a lot of profit, which, fair enough, is the name of the game. Nevertheless, I think American companies should never cease to also remain "Good", meaning having morals, ethics, and character, because, if Americans and America and American companies cease to be "Good", they will surely cease to be great. We have seen that today in corporate America with all the scandals. After reading Jim Collins' wonderful practical book, "Good To Great", anyone really interested in this subject (the morals, ethics, and character part) should go on to read Norman Thomas Remick's easy-to-understand book, "West Point: Character Leadership...", to grasp the meaning of the little understood philosophical underpinnings of what morals, ethics, and character really are. Then you will understand how important it is to Americans and America and American corporations to aim to be great, but never cease to be "Good".
Rating:
Summary: Good to Great
Review: This CD did it for me. First good use of driving time, but more importantly, you hear the Author and his passion for this subject. On top of this what he had to say was very compelling. If you believe you can be better than you are now, READ THIS! It will help. A must read for anyone who is serious about their work, play and home life! :)
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Summary: Good to Great + consistent Optimal Thinking = Best
Review: This book is a fascinating read! A study taken over five years began with twenty-eight corporations and revealed eleven that had made the leap from Good to Great. From this study, I gained an instant understanding of the role of humility in leadership. The primary ambition of great leaders is focused on the success of their company, not on themselves. Collins advocates the Hedgehog Concept - a combination of discovering what you can be best in the world at (Optimal Thinking), what you are passionate about, and what drives your economic engine. Collins states that sustained disciplined action is primarily achieved by "fanatical adherence to the Hedgehog Concept and the willingness to shun opportunities that fall outside the three circles." So my question is: How do you identify the best? I recommend Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self by Dr. Rosalene Glickman as an adjunct to this powerful book to provide the mental resource to identify the best, optimize emotional and financial intelligence and create a corporate culture of optimization. From Good to Greatest to Best!"
Rating:
Summary: Why some companies are great and some are not
Review: "Good to Great" by Jim Collins is all about transforming average companies to great companies. Collins and his research team selected eleven great companies and contrasted with their comparison companies (who they feel are average) to understand why some companies make the leap and some don't. The team discovered that to be a good to great company needs to have a Level 5 leadership. Level 5 leaders are leaders who are humble, fanatically driven, understand the need to produce sustained results and they set their successors for even greater success in the future. The leaders also understand the need to get the right people in their organization before figuring out where to drive it. As Collin puts it "First who, then what." In addition, they understands the "Hedgehog Concept." To quote directly from Collins, a Hedgehog Concept is a concept "to understand what your organization can be the best in the world at, and equally important what it cannot be teh best at - not what it "wants" to be the best at." It is "not a goal, strategy or intention; it is an understanding." It is also essential for the organization to build a culture of self-disciplined people (as getting disciplined people would limit the bureaucracy needed to compensate for lack of discipline), uses technology wisely (avoid technology fad), good to great transformation doesn't just happen with one single action, no grand program but instead follows a pattern of buildup and breakthrough. The organization is also able to confronts the reality of the company's current situation as the right decisions would follow subsequently. "Good to Great" is truly an insightful book and it is very well-researched. His points are well presented as he uses analogies and stories to back them. It is an easy read as his tone is very conversational. There are some jargons but it is not too difficult for the average reader to understand. I like the way he structures the book with "key points" and "unexpected findings" at the end of each chapters. I find that helpful and the "unexpected findings" are quite interesting. For instance, 80% of their 84 interviews did not mention technology as one of the top five factors in their transformation. In addition, Collins considers "Good to Great" more of a prequel to his other bestseller, "Built to Last" as many would expect his second book to be a sequel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the transformation of good to great companies.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Overview But A Little Dry and Monotonous
Review: Good to Great stands strong on its good research team. The book details eleven successful companies and their competitors. One main issue is that these successful companies thrived because of leaders who did not let adversity defeat them. They perservered without letting egos get in the way. Another point that Goods to Great makes lies in the steady periods of marketing their products. The great companies did not rely on the latest fads. Rather these companies relied on a business model that was modified due to changes in the conomy. The book does repeat itself in several chapters. To some degree its for emphasis and in other respects the wording just could be better. Smart yes, engaging not always. This could lose some audiences. However, the statistics and research give this summary on business conditions some strong merits.
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Summary: Why what you know about business may be completely wrong!
Review: Jim Collins and his team have done a tremendous service to business by publishing this book. Not simple a droning serious take on how to manage, this book shows that some times it really is hard work, consistent performance, and ethical behavior that leads to success. And surprisingly, it's not celebrity, or crankiness, or "willingness to take risks" (read that as: "willingness to break the law") that wins the long term race for success. It seems jaded to say "everything you've heard about business leadership is wrong", but Jim has the data to support that supposition. Every executive should read (and listen to the audio version of) this book... So should the people who work for them. If you've already suffered through the cartoonish "Who moved my Cheese?" or scary near-fascism of "Execution: The Art of Getting Things Done", this book is a breath of fresh air! Well-worth it's best-selling ranking!
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Summary: The first significant business book of the post internet era
Review: Good to great is one of the better books to come out recently on business and business issues. In this regard, it is the first major business book for the post internet boom era as it goes back to what is the core of successful companies. Collins book is not revolutionary and I can boil the whole book down to one idea. PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE. Good leaders who hire good people and have the discipline to stick to the core of their business. All of Collins conclusions draw back to this simple truth -- you have a chance when you have the right people. In some ways PEOPLE are so simple, but so difficult to achieve. Collins other points are also straightforward such as having a Level 5 Leader (the humble brilliant leader who places the company ahead of himself), Being a Hedgehog (dogged focus on the simple core issue), the Stockdale principle (having an unswaying belief that you will reach your destination -- even if you don't know how you will get there) and finally having the discipline to make this happen throughout the organization. Read the book if you are looking to refresh your thinking about business. On the down side, the book does repeat itself and certain catch phrases which adds a touch of tedium to the work. This undermines some of the power of the advice. On the plus side, the writing is very strong and highly readable making you feel as if you are part of Collins' research team. Overall, this is a work is worth the time and investment in thinking through what it means to your company. Particularly if you are looking to come out of the Internet hype.
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Summary: Good to Great review
Review: There is a silent revolution occurring in today's workplace, and one of the prime movers in this revolution is Jim Collins' book, Good to Great. Sectors ranging from public schools to professional sports teams have all flocked to Collins credo that "Good is the enemy of great." At last count, almost 1.5 million copies of the book have been printed and sold, according to publisher HarperCollins, and it's expected to pass 2 million copies by year's end. So what is the secret behind the phenomenal success of Collins' work? In a word, versatility. Collins and his team of graduate students based the book on five years of research and analyzed over 1,400 public companies to first distinguish the "great" companies from the "good" companies and then attempt to explain how the great companies made the leap. Collins' team ultimately identified 11 firms as sustained great performers over a requisite 15 year timeline. Collins succinctly identifies the distinguishing characteristics of these high-flyers. First, all great companies analyzed by Collins' team had Level 5 leadership A Level 5 leader is characterized not by ego and self-aggrandizement, but by humility coupled with an iron will. Michael Eisner and Lee Iacocca, for example, are seen as brilliant business leaders but clearly not Level 5 leaders. Abraham Lincoln, by comparison, is cited by Collins as the consummate Level 5 leader. Having a Level 5 leader is only the beginning though. Collins also stresses the importance of "getting the right people on the bus" and once you have the right people on the bus, getting them in the right seat. To illustrate this point, Collins recounts the work of Hewlett-Packard when upon expanding, began a frenzy of hiring candidates based not solely on the individual's academic record or job experience, but based on their talent. According to this philosophy, a firm should first and foremost hire talented people and then worry about defining roles rather than the roles defining the individuals. Collins also speaks of the importance of identifying a "Hedgehog Concept". Simply state, this means an organization focusing one the one thing they can do better than any other company. When companies begin to focus their efforts on a hedgehog concept, the company begins turning a "flywheel" which gains momentum with each push. Just as important as his clever catch-phrases, Collins' work is backed up by meticulous research. It is obvious after reading this book that Collins and his army of graduate students did their homework not only in identifying the good to great companies, but also analyzing what factors contributed to their increased performance. Hard empirical data and practical solutions, not gooey platitudes and empty rhetoric, are the earmarks of Good to Great. By any measure, Good to Great is a fine read and a significant addition to the body of business research. It should find itself among the classic management books of our generation as it combines first-rate research with an element of practicality that few others can match.
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Summary: Add to Your Library
Review: There are several books every manager should own: "Execution" by Bossidy & Charan
"Built to Last" by Collins & Porras
"Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler
"Crucial Conversation" by Kerry, et al. This book, "Good to Great" should be on this list. It provides a big picture for management thinking in the 21st century.
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