Few books have influenced the way people think and operate in business like Jim Collins book, Good to Great. The book has a universal appeal among large, medium and small businesses. I know of several non-profit organizations and churches that are appling the Good to Great principles within their organzations.

The main points that are support the Level Seven Way of Thinking include:

Point 1 - Collins talks about the importance of getting the right people "on the bus". The Level Seven Way suggests that in order to have a great business that serves your life requires three things.

• Having Great People in the Business
• Having Great Systems to Produce Consistent Results
• Have an Environment of High Standards and Expectations for the Business

Bottom line: Describe and define what the ideal team member looks like and actively recruit, hire and mentor people to fit that description.

Point 2 - Great leaders are not afraid to look at the brutal facts and issues that affect the business. The Level Seven Principle of Knowing What's True suggests that being objective about the performance and factors that impact the business is critical to making the best decisions.

Bottom line: Make sure you are looking at your numbers. Ask the question, when evaluating performance, "Do we really know how well we (they) are doing".

Point 3 - Get clear on what your business can be the very best at, where you make your money, and what you are passionate about. Collins calls it the Hedgehog Principle. Collins and I agree that the most successful enterprises are those that have great clarity on who they are and what they do. Their message and focus is simple and highly intentional.

Bottom line: Go high level. 20, 30, 50,000 feet and look down at your business and ask the question: What can we be the best in "our" world at? Do we really care about it? And can we make money at it? Until you can honestly answer that question, your business will flounder aimless without true power and intention.

Review by Eden Sunshine

E-Mail Me

My Book Reviews

Good to Great

The E-Myth Revisited

The Power of Full Engagement

Built to Last

Links to Web Sites

Level Seven Yoda

Eden Sunshine, The World's Toughest Business Coach