Jim Collins, Author of “Built to Last” and “Good to Great”
Today, my guest is Jim Collins, Author of the #1 best selling book Good to Great, which examines why some companies and leaders make the leap to superior results, along with the enduring classic Built to Last, which explores how some leaders build companies that remain visionary for generations.
Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research and engages in Socratic dialogue with CEOs and senior-leadership teams.
His other books include How the Mighty Fall and most recently, Great by Choice. Jim holds a BS in mathematical sciences and an MBA from Stanford University, and honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado and the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.
In this candid conversation, Jim shared the real stories behind his iconic business books, his rigorous research methodologies, and his philosophy on continuous learning and writing.
1. Rewinding the Tape of History. Jim revealed that Built to Last began when he was teaching at Stanford and decided to change his course syllabus to focus on how to build enduring, great companies rather than just successful small businesses. By "rewinding the tape of history" and comparing iconic companies with their peers at the time of their founding, he and his mentor Jerry Porras uncovered the traits of truly visionary enterprises.
2. Preserving the Core and Stimulating Progress. Distilling years of research into simple concepts, Jim identified that enduring companies act much like the U.S. Constitution: they fiercely preserve a core set of values and a larger purpose, while constantly stimulating progress, change, and innovation. He emphasizes that lasting leaders are "clock builders" who create an organization that can run without them, rather than just being a visionary "time teller".
3. The Dinner that Sparked "Good to Great". Jim shared that the premise for his next major project, Good to Great, came from a challenging dinner conversation with a friend who argued that Built to Last was essentially useless for already-established, average companies. This critique prompted Jim to draw a simple graph on his porch the next day, launching a five-year research quest to discover if and how an average company can break away and become truly great.
4. Embracing the "Suffer Fest" and Always Beginning. Likening the writing process to the painful "suffer fest" of rock climbing or running a personal best, Jim admitted that writing never gets easier, but he loves the mastery it requires. Now approaching 60, he views his career up to this point as mere preparation, finding inspiration in Peter Drucker to treat his current age as just a "nice start" toward answering new questions about social sectors and self-renewal.
