Development Solutions Consultancy

Jim Collins wrote a phenomenal book titled "Good to Great". He and his team did a very extensive research to find out what made companies move from just being good to becoming leading world class authorities in their respective fields. I think we can learn a great deal from his findings and add more value in both personal and professional lives. Below are the lessons and insights we can all utilize and benefit from:

• Good to Great leaders focused on acquiring people who had more attitudinal qualities than specialized knowledge. Their initial focus was creating a culture of discipline. They believed that by having the right disciplined people, you then don't need hierarchy, bureaucracy or mechanisms for excessive controlling. This makes a lot of sense since a lot of research on success, points out that your attitude determines how high you make your mark in life. You can explore more on this amazing topic of attitude by taking a look at an older post titled Importance of Attitude.
• The research points out that the leaders here had unwavering resolve; they had such a strong determination to do whatever it took to make the company great. They praised their people when things went right and took personal responsibility when things went wrong. They never blamed their people; instead, they took a step back, learned from the unexpected situation and then moved on forward with a better strategy. They had a unique blend of personal humility and professional will.
• Conventional wisdom says, "People are your most important asset in an organization". On the other hand Good to Great companies had a slightly different motto that said, "People are not our most important asset, but the right people are". What a big difference in thinking, this is why getting the right people in key positions, was of great significance to them. The mindset here was that great vision without great people is irrelevant. Wells Fargo was one of the good to great companies and their approach was simple: You get the best people, you build them into the best managers in the industry, and you accept the fact that some of them will be recruited to become CEO's of other companies. What an attitude!!! I think we can learn a lot from this selfless and value adding leadership style.
• Good to great companies are tough places to work in because if you don't have what it takes, you probably won't last long in that environment. These companies have rigorous cultures. This means that people are consistently held accountable to high standards. People are then fully focused and disciplined to do their work. If there are a lot of lazy people in your company, this is a very strong indicator that that company is on the wrong track.

I shall reveal some more findings on my next blog post. But for now ask yourself, "What are the biggest takeaways to apply towards your life right now?"