Good to Great
Book Analysis
By
Zain Muzammil

Jim Collins “Good to Great” sold 3 million copies and became one of the top sellers in its genre. In the book, Collins takes up a daunting challenge in the book: identifying and evaluating the factors and variables that allow a small fraction of companies to make the transition from merely good to truly great. The extensive research conducted by Jim Collins and his team of analysts provides extravagant turnarounds of a few successful companies that were able to turn themselves from merely great to the greatest in the industry. Jim Collins believe that a great companies are always accompanied by “Great Leaders”, and he states them as Level 5 leadership. Great leaders cannot be selfish nor can they let their egoistic nature- from the position- to with-held the success of the company. Rather Jim narrates that they should be humble and modest. Ken Iverson, who lead Nucor’s transformation from bankruptcy to being one of the most successful companies in the world, was reported as being one of the most humble and modest CEO by board member Jim Hlavacek. Another key factor that Collins underscores as a part of Good to Great is the nature of the leadership team. He coins it as “First who and then what”. It is very important for a company to illustrate and reflect on the kind of leadership that a company has. If you have all the right people on the bus who willing to accomplish the unthinkable only then can a company elevate to the status of the great. If a company is administered by leaders who are unwilling and selfish a company can never achieve the status of greatness. It is only then that a company can ponder well on the “what” theme of the phrase. However, Collins hits the nail on the head when he identifies his next factor in the Good to Great series. Leaders who are able to confront the brutal