"Good to Great", by Jim Collins
Three concepts:
1. The Hedgehog mentality
"Fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. " Good to Great companies think like a hedgehog. A simplified strategy, a core concept, an unified vision. Good to Great companies develop a hedgehog mentality by focusing on three circles:
a. What they can be best at and what can't be best at?
b. How can we generate more profit per X?
c. Passion - only invest in products and services they love
The interaction of the above three things is called: "A hedgehog concept"
G2G companies simply their business around their hedgehog concept.
2. The bus
How does the company manage their bus? Who gets on the bus? When do they get off the bus? Where do people sit on the bus?
Not so great company: Genius with a thousand helpers
G2G companies: hire people with entrepreneurial spirit - people that don't need to be managed or motivated. People with strong character, strong values, leadership potential .
G2G companies rarely laid people off during tough times. CEOs moved people to find the right fit.
Where do people sit: front of the bus - best performers, business development, growth opportunities
Back of the bus: people who can solve problems for the company
3. The level 5 leader
Does the company have level 5 leaders:
1. skilled worker
2. reliable teammate
3. organized manager
4. visionary with a compelling message that people buying into
5. leaders with extreme humility and extreme resolve
All G2G leaders are level 5 leaders.
"Level 5 leaders have stoic determination to do whatever needs to be done to make the company great."