Quiet leaders, fierce will
The leaders behind every leap were not famous or flashy. They were modest about themselves and relentless about the company. When things went well, they credited others. When things went wrong, they blamed themselves.
Business
Good to Great
by Jim Collins
Why do most companies stay good?
Jim Collins and his team studied 1,435 companies. Only 11 went from average results to great ones, and stayed great for fifteen years. These cards are what those 11 had in common.
Hear a sample · read by Laura
What you'll learn
- Quiet leaders, fierce will
- People first, plan second
- Find your hedgehog
- Push the flywheel
The key ideas in Good to Great
People first, plan second
Before they chose a direction, they chose the people. Get the right people on the bus and the wrong ones off, then decide where to drive. The right people barely need managing.
Find your hedgehog
Look for the overlap of three things: what you could be the best in the world at, what earns you money, and what you care about deeply. Then say no to everything outside it.
Push the flywheel
None of the 11 had one big turning point. Each kept pushing in the same direction until momentum took over. The ones that failed kept switching plans. Collins calls that the doom loop.
Lines worth underlining
Good enough
Settling for fine is the main reason most companies never become great.
Level 5
The best leaders were modest about themselves but stubborn about results, and put the company first.
First who
The great companies chose their people before their plans. The right team works out where to go.
Stockdale Paradox
The Stockdale Paradox means facing the hard facts while believing you will win in the end.
Hedgehog
Focus on the one thing you can be best at, that drives your profit and that you love.
A story from the book
The Stockdale Paradox
Admiral Jim Stockdale was a prisoner of war for more than seven years. When he was asked who didn't make it, he said it was the optimists.
Hot take · true or myth?
The great companies spent little effort trying to motivate their staff.
See the book's answer
True. With the right people on board, motivation mostly looked after itself. Collins says the leaders' job was to avoid killing it, for example by never ignoring bad news.
One thing to try
Make a stop-doing list
Write down three things you do that sit outside your hedgehog. Stop one of them this week. The great companies were defined as much by what they refused to do.
There's more to Good to Great
Knotd has the key ideas from 250+ non-fiction books, each in a few minutes, in plain words. Good to Great comes with a Hot Take round and a Spot the Trap case to make it stick.
Get the whole book on KnotdOpen in the appQuestions about Good to Great
What is Good to Great about?
Why do most companies stay good? Jim Collins and his team studied 1,435 companies. Only 11 went from average results to great ones, and stayed great for fifteen years. These cards are what those 11 had in common.
What are the key ideas in Good to Great?
Quiet leaders, fierce will; People first, plan second; Find your hedgehog; Push the flywheel.
What's one thing to try from Good to Great?
Write down three things you do that sit outside your hedgehog. Stop one of them this week. The great companies were defined as much by what they refused to do.
Is Good to Great on Knotd?
Yes. Knotd has the key ideas from Good to Great in a few minutes, in plain words, plus a Hot Take round and a Spot the Trap case to test them. It's one of 250+ non-fiction books in the app.
