Coveting Greatness
Confession. My covetousness in reading Collins’ book, Good to Great was at an all-time high. I found myself coveting: the humility and skills of a Level 5 leader, the wisdom to take good businesses to great businesses by getting the right people on or off the bus, the ability to operate the Hedgehog concept, the thrilling experience of building momentum by turning the Flywheel and building the brand, and the discipline to hold the integrity of the vision throughout the dynamic environment. What would it be like to operate with such precision, accuracy, and efficiency in leadership? Numerous examples were given, but I found myself longing to work for or lead with a level 5 leader as they implemented the principles in moving companies to greatness. The commitment for some companies to achieve greatness took a few years and others a decade or more, but the magic of movement to greatness was exciting to discover.
Living greatness and inspiring others to live their greatness is my personal mission statement and has been a long-time passion of mine, but I am often improving and wrestling with the how. So, I was thrilled to have several models and principles clearly researched and laid out as to the how to move into greatness. The simple posed question I found myself often pondering was: “I don’t have to be the best but rather what do I want to be the best at?” In wondering this, it gave me a freedom to pursue the Hedgehog concept by identifying “what I was most passionate about, what I can be the best at, and the engine needed to get there” and using “time, money, and brand” as the engine to get to where I want to go.[1] In all my professional, personal, and community work, the resounding theme for me is relationships, and I found myself wondering how it would look to be the best at relationships, as a therapist, minister, community agent, wife, and mother?
In learning from Hunter’s book, Change Your World, he suggested we need to change the culture if we want to change our world. “If we want to transform culture, what we actually have to do is get into the midst of the human cultural project and create some new cultural goods that reshape the way people imagine and experience their world…” [2]. I found myself again questioning, “nice concept, but how does one do this?” Collins’ book answered this beautifully and succinctly as he went through basic principles and research based information that clearly instructs the leader as to how to change a culture from good to great. It was admirable and inspiring how he and his team worked tirelessly and passionately to research the journey of leaders and companies committed to achieving greatness, as well as compared to those companies and leaders who were unsuccessful. Once you know the how, Collins poses the following challenge: “The real question is, once you know the right thing, do you have the discipline to do the right thing and, equally important, to stop doing the wrong things?”[3] Knowing what to do to change your world is only half the solution. Doing it is the hard part.
Many of the stories presented, particularly the journey of Walgreens moving into greatness, read like a dramatic novel and I found myself cheering for them and their leader like the underdog, urging them on to reach their mile markers for greatness achievements. I have a whole new appreciation for Walgreens, as they lived out their concrete vision to be “Simply this: the best, most convenient drugstores, with high profit per customer visit.”[4] Through good leadership, disciplined focus, and integrity to their vision, they moved consistently and powerfully from a good to great company. And as predictable of level 5 leaders, they credited their success to luck and took fault for the failures as they guided their employees with a servant’s heart to greatness. Humble leaders who inspire followers through their service and passion echoed Depree’s words in Leadership is an Art, “Thus, the leader is the ‘servant’ of his followers in that he removes the obstacles that prevent them from doing their jobs.”[5] A great leader serves his employees and leads them to greatness, which emulates the spirit and words of Jesus, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”[6] Great leaders lead companies to greatness.
If covetousness moves one from good to greatness, I would have been oozing with greatness two chapters in. Drat. Out of luck there, but looking forward to practicing and applying these hearty and well-researched principles in my work, personally and professionally and moving from good to great.
[1] Jim Collins, Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking Is Not the Answer: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap–and Others Don’t (Boulder, CO: J., 2011), 19.
[2] Hunter, James Davison. To Change the World the Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 28.
[3] James Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap–and Others Don’t (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2011) 141-142.
[4] Collins, Good to Great, 92.
[5] Max Depree, Leadership Is an Art (New York: The Crown Publishing Group, 2004) Kindle, 161.
About the Author
Jennifer Dean-Hill
11 responses to “Coveting Greatness”
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Great summary of the book and you have an amazing way with words. I’m so lucky to live with a level 5 leader and am inspired by your leadership and relational skills. Great blog post baby 🙂
Not allowed to copy it next year, sorry!
Enjoyed your post Jennifer!
During Monday’s cohort chat when I heard how much you liked the book, I cringed a bit because I had already written my less than favorable review of “Good to Great.” 🙂
I do have major problems the principles as they relate to the church. However, you mention something that I think is missing, and what may just be the magic bullet for a great church, and that is the affect of relationship or the need for healthy relationships.
Admittedly, I am at a disadvantage, and my view is skewed because I have only briefly worked in the business world—though my parents owned their own business for many years. On the other hand, the advantage is I have worked in the church for many years and I can see what has worked and what has not.
Although I am not a proponent of the “magic bullet” scenario. I am convinced that if there is a magic bullet that makes a church great it is based on relationship and not, for example, level 5 leadership. I have a saying, “everyone loves a level 5 leader until the leader has to be level 5 with them!”
I have seen and experienced great churches where you look at the leader and say, how does this happen? I would argue that in almost every case, the core is relationship—caring and loving relationship leading people to a community of believers that practices relationship over performance. Some of these churches had 50 people others had thousands. Thanks for highlighting the relationship aspect of greatness.
Jennifer, I tried to zero in on the good points in the book in my post too. Several of our colleagues have pointed out the weaknesses, but like Jim I think you hit on the most important key to success – the relationship aspect of greatness. And I cheer for the underdog too!
Your perspective is valuable because you are dealing with people who are seeing you because they have problems that they are hoping you can help them fix! The book is a great place to start. I did not have time to research whether or not Jim Collins is a Christian? Maybe some of his arguments would sound more compassionate?
I imagine this will be something you’ll be pondering for awhile: “In all my professional, personal, and community work, the resounding theme for me is relationships, and I found myself wondering how it would look to be the best at relationships, as a therapist, minister, community agent, wife, and mother?”
I’m curious if you think perhaps some of your disciplined practices already exhibit “greatness” (but as a Level 5 leader, I imagine you’d never say that), and if you see some new practices you can incorporate into the flywheel of your successful therapist work?
Well, Katy, the saying comes to mind, “It takes one to know one.” If you see Level 5 Leadership qualities in me, then it must be so, as I see Level 5 leadership qualities in you.
“The real question is, once you know the right thing, do you have the discipline to do the right thing and, equally important, to stop doing the wrong things?”
This identifies where Good to Great falls apart for the church. Collins’ research revealed that great companies are true to their values (and he reluctantly admits that it does not matter WHAT those values are.) In other word, the mafia may have horrific values, but would prosper because they stuck to them.
For churches, we MUST know and do the right things. Our values must be based on scripture. If they are not, we are choosing a foundation of sand rather than rock.
“The simple posed question I found myself often pondering was: “I don’t have to be the best but rather what do I want to be the best at?” …identifying “what I was most passionate about, what I can be the best at, and the engine needed to get there” and using “time, money, and brand” as the engine to get to where I want to go.”
This is a beautiful summary of Collins’ thoughts, Jen. These are the questions I want to keep asking. While I struggle with the idea of wanting to be the best, when I place it in the context of mission, it becomes clear that being/giving the best for the mission Christ has put before me isn’t about my own ego, but about my own obedience.
When you look at your leadership, where do you identify those “level 5” qualities in yourself?
Discipline and passion 🙂
Okay when I got to your comment ““Simply this: the best, most convenient drugstores, with high profit per customer visit,” I must admit my mind went our track. I start hearing Tina Turner singing “Simply the best”
Alright back to the book, Inspiring others to understand and support the mission is a great step. As the leader of a non-profit, I found that once the board experienced the work of the nonprofit they began to understand, believe and invest in the mission.
You statement be the best at what you do is a classic.
Aww geez! Now you have me singing this too- gotta love Tina.