Learning to lead in life and business requires humility and will.
In his book “Good To Great,” Jim Collins explains how a great leader will focus any ego needs on the goals of building a great company rather than on themselves.
A good leader sets a vision and then gathers highly capable “helpers“ to make that vision happen.
A good leader is more ruthless than rigorous and relies more on restructuring a business using layoffs.
A great leader must have the drive to do what must be done.
A great leader is more interested in building something that endures than being a superstar.
Here’s how to go from “Good To Great.”
Being Good Vs. Being Great
Jim Collins brought up a great point in the book.
What if I’m ok with being good and don’t want to be great?
But being good is the reason why there are good schools and not great schools, good churches rather than great churches, and good government agencies rather than great government agencies.
Even if finding greatness is not in the business sector, building something great will mean being engaged in something I love and care about.
No matter what we achieve, if we don’t spend most of our time with people we love and respect, we can’t possibly have a great life.
How Discipline Can Take You From Good To Great
There are three focus areas of discipline:
- Disciplined People – build a deep and strong team
- Disciplined Thought – confront the brutal facts and create a culture where people have the opportunity to be heard and for the truth to be heard
- Disciplined Action – self-disciplined people who are willing to go to great lengths to fulfill their responsibilities within a set framework
It’s essential to keep in mind that going from “Good To Great” means that “who“ questions come before “what“ decisions. You will need the right people on board before vision, strategy, organization structure, or tactics.
Even Incremental Progress Is Still Progress
Jim Collins refers to incremental progress as “The Flywheel.”
Imagine a huge flywheel that is mounted horizontally. As you push the flywheel forward, it moves inch by inch. After pushing the wheel for days, months, or years, you finally start to see momentum! Then, it completely takes off, and you’re not being forced to push any harder. Your hard work and effort have been compounded over time.
How’s that for a metaphor?
That’s what happens when you work hard at something you believe in. You keep the faith that you will triumph in the end, regardless of the difficulties.
Final Thoughts
Building a good business into a great one can be a long, confusing, and arduous journey.
With the help of Jim Collins, I have learned that consistency trumps talent.
Also, the following three circles NEED to intersect:
- What you can be the best in the world at
- What you are deeply passionate about
- What drives your economic engine (i.e., make a lot of money doing it)
Good luck and much success to all those reading this!
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Sachi Reads Daily 