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Title: Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras ISBN: 0-88730-739-6 Publisher: HarperBusiness Pub. Date: 15 January, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.63 (95 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Examples will get you thinking!
Comment: Heard the taped version of BUILT TO LAST by Jim Collins and
Jerry I. Porras, a research study that looked at what made certain
"visionary companies" special when compared to others who were
"successful but second rank" . . . thus, Disney was compared
to Columbia Pictures, Ford to GM, etc.
The comparisons made the material real for me . . . there were
lots of examples, and they helped me see that the key to the success
of any organization is not just its leader . . . to quote the authors:
The key point is that a visionary company is an organization--an
institution. All individual leaders, no matter how charismatic or
visionary, eventually die; and all visionary products and services--all
"great ideas"--eventually become obsolete. Indeed, entire markets
can become obsolete and disappear. Yet visionary companies
prosper over long periods of times, through multiple product
life cycles and multiple generations of active leaders.
Why that is so is because they did not fall susceptible to
the myths that too many other companies buy into, such as:
1. It takes a great idea to start a company.
2. Visionary companies require great and charismatic visionary leaders.
3. The most successful companies exist first and foremost to maximize profits.
4. Visionary companies share a common subset of "correct" core values.
5. The only constant is change.
6. Blue-chip companies play it safe.
7. Visionary companies are great places to work, for everyone.
8. Highly successful companies make some of their best moves by brilliant
and complex strategic planning.
9. Companies should hire outside CEOs to stimulate fundamental change.
10. The most successful companies focus primarily on beating the
competition.
11. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
12. Companies become visionary primarily through "vision statements."
I'd recommend this book to anybody working in business--or who
someday aspires to do so . . . it will make you think.
Rating: 5
Summary: Built to Outlast the Tests of Time!
Comment: Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras is an essential guide for any new or old organization looking to get started or revitalize its fundamental foundation and business practices. Assembled as a result of a six year long study examining eighteen remarkable and long-lasting companies in relation to each companies top "market" competitor, this book genuinely shows what distinguishes truly visionary companies from the rest. This books begins by briefly describing what visionary companies were chosen for the study and why. For those interested, visionary companies included organizations such as Wal-Mart, American Express, IBM, and Walt Disney, just to name a few.
According to Collins and Porras, a visionary company can neither be founded on a single great idea nor rely on an individual charismatic leader. Those in a visionary company must be willing and able to put the organization first in order not only to make an impact after the death of any individual leader but also to stand the test of time. Essential in any visionary company is a statement of what the company stands for and why it exists - its core ideology consisting of its core values and core purpose. For example, a company must exist for a number of reasons beyond just making money. Along with this statement of core ideology must come a plan for action, a plan to stimulate and drive progress in an organization toward an envisioned future. A key concept from this book is preserving the core of an organization while stimulating progress within that organization. Change in an organization is a constant with respect to everything but the organization's core ideology.
A visionary organization can stimulate progress in a number of ways from setting BHAGs or Big Hairy Audacious goals, to creating and promoting a cult-like culture within the organization, to trying a lot of stuff and keeping what works, and finally, to relying on homegrown management. In a visionary company, good enough never is, there is never an end to the movement for continual progress, and every member in the organization is a key player encouraged to take personal initiative. A visionary company is a great place to work if and only if you strongly agree and adhere to its values and purpose.
This book was not only insightful, but it provided the steps necessary for any organization to take strides toward becoming a visionary company. Although information at times was repetitive, it proved useful in hammering home key concepts crucial to understanding what makes a visionary company truly visionary. The book was an easy read, and the authors were quick to point out that this book is not the "ultimate truth" when it comes to understanding organizations. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is worth a read, and definitely worth the money!
Rating: 5
Summary: Very good - with real take-home value
Comment: We used this book as a template for defining our strategic vision and corporate culture for a 75 person growing tech company. The insights on building a company for the long-term are simple but valuable and practical. I recommend it highly.
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Title: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins ISBN: 0066620996 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 16 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Ram Charan, Charles Burck, Larry Bossidy ISBN: 0609610570 Publisher: Crown Business Pub. Date: 15 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman ISBN: 0684852861 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 05 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $27.00 |
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Title: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni ISBN: 0787960756 Publisher: Jossey-Bass Pub. Date: 19 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: In Search of Excellence by R.H. Thomas/Waterman Peters, Tom Peters, Robert Waterman ISBN: 0446385077 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 15 August, 1988 List Price(USD): $15.99 |
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