Business Excellence Isn't Impossible - A Review of "Good to Great"

I first read the book "Good to Great" by Jim Collins right after it hit the shelves. I was familiar with Jim Collins, I’d heard of him as a very influential business consultant. At the time I was early in my career and my first business and I was eager to get my hands on anything that could help me grow my company. In fact, it was the subtitle that really captured my attention: “Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't” - I wanted to be prepared and understand how to help my company leap from good, to great.

Looking back, I’m glad I read it! The book had an immediate impact on me and how I thought about what we did as a company. In fact, I still think about the lessons in the book almost every week.

In his book, Collins identifies and evaluates the things that can transform a small group of companies into big and great ones. Collins defines "great" as that which exceeds the average of the market given a certain period of time. Collins and his team have tried hard to point out certain institutions that have achieved their own versions of greatness. This greatness, then, is taken into account. The company is thoroughly compared to its competitors and the things that make it "greater" than them are noted.

What amazed me about “Good to Great” was that it wasn't a dragging read. I couldn't stop reading it. In nine chapters, Collins was able to discuss several management practices and behaviors that may lead to greatness. Collins gave special attention to finding out the company's strengths and using them to achieve their ultimate goal. He even noted that if a certain company ended up deviating from its strengths, then greatness might not be attainable. Overall, Collins tells us that greatness and success are really achievable in the long-term if a company merely strives for it perseveringly and more importantly, while knowing which aspects should be focused on.

If anything, “Good to Great” emphasizes that success isn't something that happens overnight. It, on the other hand, is something that's worked for, and in this book Jim Collins effectively tells us how to work the right way.

“Good to Great” is a book you will find on our shelves at the office. We firmly believe in the principles contained within and are striving to build Two Roads into a great company.