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Summary: Most insightful leadership book I have ever read!
Review: There have been many well-thought, good reviews on this book by Jim Collins. I will try to provide one more, with a slightly different perspective. This text is all about people - how to understand them, lead them, tap into them, and in so doing- how to create an organization that flourishes for sustained periods. Collins brilliantly discusses how to select the appropriate team, what to look for in a CEO and in managers (Level 5 Leadership), how to go about making truly effective decisions, how to create a culture that encourages honesty and creativity, how momentum is both created and maintained, how to be the best at what your company does, and much more! Essentially the above is a very brief summary from most of the chapters. Beyond that, this book is practical. It provides keys and real examples on how to do the principes rather than giving the reader mere theory with little real-life application. This book is a huge breath of fresh, real-world air in that it is not trendy. It is down to earth, well written, fun to read, and the author does not try to impress by coming up with some grand, new theme that sounds impressive but leaves little life application available. This is far and away the best business book I have ever read. I've read it twice and am about to begin my 3rd read. It will inspire you and open your eyes to the role of people, of management, of the organizations culture, and to refreshingly practical and proven ideas that work wonderfully from your home to your church to your Fortune 500 company. Enjoy!
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Summary: Great Read for Success in Business
Review: This is a great read for success in business tips. It sounds like the author has really done his homework in noting the differences between successful business and unsucessful ones. This makes for a great guide to getting ahead in the financial world. Another book I would like to recommend that helps one to get ahead in the realm of inner peace is called, "The Little Guide To Happiness". Both are of eqaul value given what each is trying to help us achieve.
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Summary: Some thoughts Added to my last review
Review: Suppose Jim Collins starts his research with his group from today, and evaluates all the companies he had chosen in this book based upon today's stock market values, I really don't know what would come out of it. Reading all the bad economical/financial/corporate news day after day, this book's real market value indeed gives me a very troubling second thought now. J.C. and his graduates research group could only find printed evidences from those companies themselves and by the market values of them before year 2000, do not actually ring true at all. Thinking back from what I have read from this book to 200 some pages (like I confessed, I have given it up after those pages), I finally have confirmed that this book is just a self-righteous book which could be summarized just under 50 pages. To be good or not to be great, that's the question.
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Summary: Churches, Listen!!
Review: Again Collins writes a must read book. Again, (though this book doesn't deal with churches or religion) the applications to the church are obvious and powerful. As a pastor, concerned about the need for the church to regain its focus on reaching people with the life transforming love of Jesus, I found this book sets forth a strategy that would help any organization (in my interest, a church) be more healthy, focused and productive.
Collins findings regarding Level 5 Leadership is a needed antidote to the "Corporate" style many pastors have sought to emulate. Getting the right people on the bus in the right roles, doing the hard work of assessing the brutal facts, taking the time to find the hedgehog concept, and then developing a disciplined culture are all correctives to much of what needs to be changed in an ineffective church.
Lest the reader of this review think I am suggesting the church take a page from the corporate world, let me assure you that Collins has written about foundational qualities that you might conclude reflect eternal values. Maybe that's why they became great companies!
Rating: 
Summary: Good book
Review: This book is an easy read. I read it in one weekend. Interesting perspecive for anyone in business and a great followup to Build to Last.Another book I highly recommend for anyone in business is Customers come Second, Employees comes first" a philosophy that I have alwys implemented in my business.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and accurate
Review: What a great book. What I like most is that Good to Great reveals that the real key to a companies success is it's PEOPLE!Build the people and the people will build the company.
Rating:
Summary: You must buy and read this book!
Review: I will keep my comments short and simple. Pound for pound, this is the best business book I have ever read
This book is essential for any business person who has significant say in any company. The "lessons learned" from this book will either save you years, stop a nasty decline or best of all help you grow. It's a no holds barred look on what makes a company great.
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Summary: Discover the Secrets to a Level 5 leader and a Great Company
Review: The "Good to Great" author, Jim Collin introduces a standard for leadership called Level 5, the plow horse of the company. A level 5 leader is a blend of personal humility and intense professional will power. The drive for self-interest is superceded by a intense ambition putting the institution first and foremost. The equation is very simple: Humility + Will = Level 5. A level 5 leader is inspiring because they demonstrate a unwavering resolve to get things done. The company understandings what the company does best and the level 5 leader drives for the company for results. A level 5 leader has a strong understand of how the company makes money and the products or services they provide. A level 5 leader builds a corporate culture, facilitating phenomial commitment and production levels from his company. The level 5 leaders establishs the standards to build an enduring company. Failure is not blaming others, for the failure, but apportion of responsiblity for poor results. Likewise, success is attributed to others. Good to Great emphasizes getting the right people onboard. Three keys are emphasized about finding the right people: First, don't hire until the right person is discovered. Second, when a people change is need act immediately. And third, put your best people on the biggest opportunities, not the biggest problems. The Good to Great philosophy suggests flexiblity by confronting and adapting to the brutal facts. Brutal facts save Good to Great companies and move them significantly, in front position. Brutal facts change the focus of the company and provide relief from making fatal business decisions. Two philosophical forces drive the leader 5 leader to confront brutal facts: rentless discipline and enterpreneural spirit. Discipline provides the freedom to change and effectively implement the change in the company culture. The enterpreneural spirit provides solutions to the problems. Efficiency and Creativity drives produces new ways of doing business which don't go outside, of what the company does best, and what the company is truely passionate about. Good to Great company demonstrates a singular of purpose of intent, with an desire to build the company into a great company. The core ability of Good to Great companies is their focus on "What they are deeply passionate about", "What they can be the best in the world at", and "What drives their economic engine." This is hugh area are of analysis to be understood. Most companies never gain this understanding. However, once done the companies goals and strategies focus around the companies core foundation of understanding. Good to Great companies are not driven by technology but use technology to accelerate what they do best. Technology is used to accelerate, what the company does best. Understanding how technology integrates with the companies scope objectives provides rapid acceleration in scale, breadth, and velocity in which the company advances they culture. Good to Great companies understand that company culture is the reason for success. The Good to Great company is not looking for a breakaway technology to save them. The consistly win and no one event makes they great; only that they eventual are recognized as great. The culture drives efficiency and productivity. Technology is used to fit their goals and strategies. Good to Great companies may appear average but have significant break aways in momentum.
After years of doing what they do best, planning, and achievement; a good to great company will experience a break away phenomenia. The momentum sustained from consistent achievement of goals and objectives creates the rocket thrust to move them up and into orbit. Before long they are moving in a stellar velocity and their competitors remain on the ground. The book has a hugh appendix explaining how Jim Collin and his research team derived the conclusions in the book and how they selected the good to great companies list. I really enjoyed the book. I'm looking forward to reading "Built to Last"
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Summary: Good is the Enemy of Great
Review: Jim Collins brilliantly displays his extensive research throughout his eye opening book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. I really don't read much for leisure, but this book kept me interested until the last page. It showed how to take a good company and make it great, by giving comprehensive guides for managing people and mostly importantly managing yourself in a work environment. It used modern day examples of companys such as Walgreens and Eckerd, companies I have actually shopped at. Collins and his team of researchers conducted detailed research among great companies and gave comparisions as to why each company succeded and why their comparision company did not. If you plan on running your own business at some point in your life, this is a must read. If you work at a company and hope to climb the latter to managament, this is a must read.
This book takes a look at all aspects of a company and how each employee must realize their role and fulfill it. He attributes that one of the most important aspects in becoming a "great" company is possessing a Level 5 Leader. The term Level 5 refers to the highest point of a hierachial scale created by Collins, in which the leader embrasses the first 4 levels of the scale to become a caring and professional leader. He goes on to give strategies for guiding the company in the right direction, keeping the right employees, getting rid of the wrong ones, and putting the right ones into the right positions. Some of the main aspects he contributes to having a good company is Level 5 Leadership, finding the right employees and utilizing them in the right positions, being able to "confront the brutal facts", understanding them and then being able to deal with them, embracing the Hedgehog Concept, providing a culture of discipline within the company, and lastely dealing with technology accelerators. Read this book. Its worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: This is a great book for anyone who is a leader and wants his or her company to excel. I highly recommend it!
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