Book Review: Good to Great by Jim Collins

I just finished Good to Great by Jim Collins.  Here are my top 10 takeaways from the book:

1. “Personal Will” does not oppose humility. In fact, both are necessary to transition my church from being good to being great.
2. Acceptance of the brutal facts and an accurate assignment of blame and praise are keys to navigating from good to great.
3. If you don’t have the right people on the bus, the “what” of your mission won’t mean much. It all starts with surrounding yourself with the right people.
4. Before evaluating a potential hire for talent, evaluate him for character and work ethic.
5. Creating a culture of discipline and rigor starts at the top and requires consistent application of standards throughout the organization without bias.
6. When you know that you have a wrong person on the bus, let them go quickly. It is in the best interest of the church/organization and the person being released. It increases productivity, creativity, and morale when the wrong people on the bus leave.
7. Determination or faith that you will succeed knowing that significant obstacles will come is key to long-term success and survivability.
8. Focus specifically on your passion, what you do best, and the economics that drive your church.
9. Do not allow technology to drive what you do. But, find out how it fits with your ministry, the mission, and then leverage technology once you have a well thought out strategy. Don’t allow fear to motivate you to embrace technology before you understand it.
10. There is no silver bullet for success. Lasting success is built by the consistent pushing against “the flywheel.” It takes a while before you see the momentum you are looking for. But, in time and with persistence, the momentum will be so powerful, it will take on a life of its own.

BONUS: I learned I am excited to journey from good to
great. I am anxious to discover my
potential as a leader. I learned I’m
ready to make the toughest decisions facing me to make the transition.