From Good to Great

If you only ever read one business/management book, make it this one.  Yes it was written a few years ago - 2001.  But it is the basic ideas in it that are key. From analysing companies that were good performers and then got even better, the author Jim Collins derived 7 common characteristics: ·                    Level 5 Leadership: Leaders who are humble, but driven to do what's best for the company. ·                    First Who, Then What: Get the right people on the bus, then figure out where to go. Finding the right people and trying them out in different positions. ·                    Confront the Brutal Facts: The Stockdale paradox - Confront the brutal truth of the situation, yet at the same time, never give up hope. ·                    Hedgehog Concept: Three overlapping circles: What makes you money? What could you be best in the world at? and What lights your fire? ·                    Culture of Discipline: Rinsing the cottage cheese. ·                    Technology Accelerators: Using technology to accelerate growth, within the three circles of the hedgehog concept. ·                    The Flywheel: The additive effect of many small initiatives; they act on each other like compound interest. Does it sound simple?  You bet.  But I am a believer.