Good to Great

Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

By: Jim Collins

Narrated by: Jim Collins

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Built to Last, the defining management study of the '90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning.

But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? Are there those that convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? If so, what are the distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great?

Over five years, Jim Collins and his research team have analyzed the histories of 28 companies, discovering why some companies make the leap and others don't. The findings include:

• Level 5 Leadership: A surprising style, required for greatness
• The Hedgehog Concept: Finding your three circles, to transcend the curse of competence
• A Culture of Discipline: The alchemy of great results
• Technology Accelerators: How good-to-great companies think differently about technology
• The Flywheel and the Doom Loop: Why those who do frequent restructuring fail to make the leap

©2001 Jim Collins (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Like Built to Last, Good to Great is one of those books that managers and CEOs will be reading and rereading for years to come." (Amazon.com review)

"If you believe that a visionary leader with a strong ego is an essential component of sustained business success, then Jim Collins has a few thousand words for you. His carefully researched audiobook explains that the success of companies that outperform the market for 15 years in a row comes from selfless leadership, rigorous focus, and a culture of discipline....[T]here's another reason this book has burst through as a bestseller, which you can feel in Collins's narration: He is honestly excited about his research and unconventional findings. ( AudioFile)

Top 5 book

This has become one of my top 5 books for business. it is so inspiring!

A great book for those desiring greatness!

This book was very transformative for me. I’ve put off reading/listening to it for years because I honestly believed it would crush me as a leader. I’m very glad to say that I was wrong & I wish I would have listened to it sooner!
This book is on the top of my “best books” list. There’s so much gold within this book that it will take me years to mine it of all its riches.
I love that it is read by the author. It’s so powerful to hear the author read. It’s like sitting down and having coffee with Jim Collins! So cool!
Enjoy this book! And, onward & upward!

The Most Amazing Business Book I’ve Ever Read!

This book had so many Golden Nuggets that were relevant to my business, an Inc 500 company. That not only did I listen via Audible, I took notes while listening and then went back & devoured the Hardback with a Highlighter!

A MUST READ! I don’t know how someone could give less than 5 stars all the way around. I would give 10 if I could.

Amazing!

I know it has been around for awhile but I am just now getting to it! This book is phenomenal and it is an amazing tool for those trying to develop the very best organization possible.

Great reasearh and timeless principles

Even though the research is all prior to 2000, the principles Jim Collins outlines are still relevant, especially about leadership, what makes an org great, etc
Recommended

Good book

Enjoyed the different outlooks of leadership and how to be a better leader. What sets the leader to the next step.

One of my favorite leadership books

Excellent book, well structured and easy to follow. Also gives a road map to building and sustaining a great business.
I highly recommend it.
However, the reading performance was terrible. The reader was yelling throughout the book. Should consider using a professional reader next time.

Great material, great listen

What did you love best about Good to Great?

It was good to have Jim Collins reading it. Some of the time he referenced material that has been updated since the original publication date, which made it a more enjoyable listen. Having the author read the story is usually a good thing in my mind.

Who was your favorite character and why?

While this is a business principle book, I enjoyed Collins account of Admiral Stockdale and how his world view affected his ability to cope with being a POW and how that should impact the way we all think.

What about Jim Collins’s performance did you like?

Liked the personal stories and perspective.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sure, but who has that much time?!

Disappointed

What made the experience of listening to Good to Great the most enjoyable?

Solid content

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Many words were lost when his voice trailed off in places. Caused me to miss the point of the sentence.

Any additional comments?

Disappointed that the EXACT content of the CD was used. You didn't even remove the annoying music at the beginning and end of the CD's. The listener is forced to sit through the end of CD music and the beginning of the CD music with dead space in between right in the middle of a chapter. I can't imagine that in this digital world it would have been that difficult to cut that portion out.

Dated but Applicable

The concepts in this book are very applicable to many different domains of the business world and leadership. The examples leave much to be updated.