| Jim Collins, author of Good to Great: Why Some | | | | and they work harder to remain on top. |
| Companies Make the Leap…And Others don't, | | | | 6. Great companies know the process of being great |
| conducted a case study with his research team | | | | in things they are not great in doing, they can create a |
| spanning 15 years and 11 companies, cross-examining | | | | great company even in an industry that's not great. |
| company characteristics and uncovering what the | | | | 7. Great companies don't think that technology alone |
| good-to-great companies had in common. Through | | | | holds the key to success. The good to great are |
| their research they arrived at 9 key elements that | | | | motivated by a deep creative urge and inner |
| enabled each of the 11 companies to make the leap | | | | compulsion for sheer excellence for its own sake. |
| from good to great. Each of these elements | | | | Great technology alone won't make you a great |
| addresses operational practices, management, and | | | | company. |
| personnel behavior or attitudes that are critical | | | | 8. Great companies transform from good to great in a |
| elements in the transition from good to great. | | | | similar manner as a giant flywheel being pushed in one |
| 1. Great companies have disciplined people, disciplined | | | | direction, turn upon turn, building momentum until the |
| thought, and disciplined action. | | | | point of breakthrough and beyond. It takes a lot of |
| 2. Great companies have Level 5 leaders; they have | | | | hard work and a consistent effort. |
| goals of building a great company in the next | | | | 9. Great companies work towards building a great |
| generation, comfortable with the idea that most people | | | | company that will last and they do not focus on short |
| won't even know that the roots of that success trace | | | | gains that will weaken the company. |
| back to their efforts. | | | | Companies become great because they know what |
| 3. Great companies get the right people on the bus | | | | drives their economic engine, they understand what |
| and the wrong people off the bus before figuring out | | | | they do best, and what they can be deeply passionate |
| where they are going. | | | | about. Good schools can learn to become great |
| 4. Great companies face the brutal facts, but at the | | | | schools. Good government agencies can learn to be |
| same time they maintain an unfailing hope. | | | | great government agencies. |
| 5. Great companies exert more effort to be on top | | | | |