• 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
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (17,384 ratings)

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Good to Great  By  cover art

Good to Great

By: Jim Collins
Narrated by: Jim Collins
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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)

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What listeners say about Good to Great

Average customer ratings
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GREAT

What did you love best about Good to Great?

I LEARNED A LOT

What did you like best about this story?

MAKES LOTS OF SENCE

Which scene was your favorite?

ALL

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

WORK WITH GREAT PEOPLE

Any additional comments?

GREAT BOOK I RECOMMEND TO ALL

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Amazing.

Simply the absolute best audiobook I've listened to. Having Jim Collins read the book makes the whole experience unbelievable and engaging. You basically have your own private lecture in your pocket!

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Love this book

This was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. Extremely inspiring to me.

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Practical Powerful

Loved the practical nature of narrative. Going to listen to it a couple of more times for sure.

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Not to be missed

Very thorough research and interesting to learn the important traits to be a level 5 leader.

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GREAT READING!

I Listened to it over and over! Great material! Highly recommended reading. Read it.
Willis Sanchez

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For anyone who wants to build something great

This book should be required reading for any executive, manager, team leader, or anyone who seeks to help build or be a part of something great. Having finally listened to this book, I get why it’s so commonly recommended across business environments. What’s great about the fundamental tenets in this book is that, as Collins mentions, they’re applicable beyond the traditional business sector as well. They’re foundational ideas that can be leveraged in any context where the desire is to produce something beyond the status quo.

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one of the best business book

there is no waste at all. amazing book, changed many ideas I had it's insight about how to hire and when to let people go are the best advice on how to manage people. you shouldnt be micro managing at all, they are the wrong people !

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Really good read...

I enjoyed the stories behind all the work behind the analysis. There was a lot of reference to the details that could have been reduced...but really enjoyed hearing about the leadership qualities.

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Must Read

This is an excellent book. It is based entirely on research and analysis, rather than opinion and anecdotes. There are clear and discernible reasons why some companies go from good to great, and others never do.

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