Wednesday 19 November 2008

For a change....

A book review. First in an occasional series and all that. I have to admit that I am not a great reader of non-fiction - I do like my books to have a good story - but there are a few that I have read that have hit the mark for me. The key is always whether I might read it again.

This one is of Good to Great by Jim Collins, Random House Business Books, 2001isbn 7126 76090 . You have probably all heard of this and maybe even read it, but it feels like a perfect opportunity to revisit a classic.

Collins and his team set out to identify what it takes to turn a good company into a great one - defined as significantly out performing their direct competitors for 15 years from the transition point. (OK, so one of the 'great' companies was Fannie Mae, but no one ever said they would be great forever!)

Two concepts have stayed with me since first reading this book some years ago. Firstly, Level 5 Leadership - "a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will" which is summed up by the Harry Truman quote on the opening page of the chapter "You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit."

Secondly, the need to 'confront the brutal facts, yet never lose faith' - that combination of discipline and discerning optimism which allow leaders to hear the truth about the situation and enables them to engender trust that they will prevail.

It's an entertaining, instructive and easy read. Best of all, everything is summarised in Chapter 1 so if you are really pushed for time you can just read that.

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