Jim Collins

"Jim Collins’s memorable phrase in Good to Great—spark leaps to new levels: A BHAG is a huge and daunting goal—like a big mountain to climb. It is clear, compelling, and people “get it” right away. A BHAG serves as a unifying focal point of effort, galvanizing people and creating team spirit as people strive toward a finish line. Like the 1960s NASA moon mission, a BHAG captures the imagination and grabs people in the gut."

"We borrowed from Jim Collins: “What can you be the best at in the world?” Once we figured that out, we laid the OKR system on top of it. We believed that everyone should have a healthy and productive life, and Bill and Melinda were passionate about the role of technology in creating change. That was in our DNA."

"As Jim Collins observes in Good to Great, first you need to get “the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.” Only then do you turn the wheel and step on the gas."

"What is your essential reading / audio list for 2019? Good to Great, by Jim Collins The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Dr. Stephen R. Covey The Goal, by Eliyahu Goldratt The Psychology of Achievement, by Brian Tracy Catch 22, by Joseph Heller Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell Shoe Dawg, by Phil Knight The Prince, by Machiavelli Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth about Success – And Why Some People Never Learn from Their Mistakes, by Matthew Syed 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works—A True Story, by Dan Harris After On: A Novel of Silicon Valley, by Rob Reid How I Built This, by Guy Raz (NPR podcast series) Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life, by Geshe Michael Roach Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, by John le Carré The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand"

"“In the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.” —Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t"

"Charisma Is Overrated The outsider CEOs were also distinctly unpromotional and spent considerably less time on investor relations than their peers. They did not offer earnings guidance or participate in Wall Street conferences. As a group, they were not extroverted or overly charismatic. In this regard, they had the quality of humility that Jim Collins emphasized in his excellent Good to Great. They did not seek (or usually attract) the spotlight. Their returns, however, more than compensated for this introversion."

"The theme is also explored by Jim Collins, who coined the term Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAG), to suggest that companies that inspire their employees with a great, challenging goal, are the ones that succeed in the long run. With these lessons, the trio understood it had to attract people who are motivated by more than money: a big dream. With that in mind, Marcel Telles established Brahma’s first ever big dream: to become Brazil’s largest and best brewing company."

"LEGO and its leaders are not the first—nor likely the last—to discuss the water level at length while the ship sinks. American business researcher Jim Collins has analyzed the reasons behind companies’ rise and fall. In the book “How the Mighty Fall”—based on a total of 6,000 years of corporate history—he explains how the fall begins with success, because success breeds complacency, and complacency breeds blindness to reality, leading to a careless pursuit of more success, as one takes it for granted and ignores the facts, creating fertile ground for problems and threats until they grow large enough to trigger the fall. Exactly what was about to happen to LEGO."