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Tag: Jim Collins

  • Creating a work environment where TRUTH is heard

    Creating a climate where truth is heard involves the four basic practices mentioned below:

    1. Lead with questions and NOT answers
    2. Engage in dialogue and debate and NOT coercion
    3. Conduct AUTOPSIES without blame
    4. Build RED FLAG MECHANISMS to turn information into INFORMATION THAT CANNOT be IGNORED..

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • Great organizations have a penchant for “Intense Dialogues”

    Jim Collins in his book Good to Great mentions that great organizations do not use discussions as a SHAM process to let people HAVE their SAY so that they can BUY IN to a predetermined decision..

    The process adopted here is more of  SCIENTIFIC DEBATE with people ENGAGED in search of the BEST ANSWERS..

  • Overcoming liabilities of CHARISMA

    Jim Collins in his book Good to Great mentions that for people who are inherently CHARISMATIC it is worthwhile to consider that CHARISMA is as much a LIABILITY as an ASSET.

    The strength of charismatic personality can sow the seeds of problems when people start hiding brutal facts..

    The liabilities of CHARISMA can be OVERCOME but this would require continuous and conscious ATTENTION..

  • Three best practices for People Decisions

    Great organizations led by Level 5 leaders always use the following three principles when it comes to People related decisions..

    1. When in doubt , do NOT HIRE and keep looking
    2. When you know you NEED to make a PEOPLE CHANGE , ACT
    3. Put your BEST PEOPLE in BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES , NOT BIGGEST PROBLEMS

    The same has been adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • This Bipolar pattern has been seen in Great organizations

    Jim Collins in his book Good to Great observes a bipolar pattern with respect to people in great organizations led by Level 5 leaders..

    People either STAYED in the BUS of the organization for a LONG time or GOT off the BUS in a HURRY..

    Hence these organizations churned better..

  • Level 5 leaders prefer WHO before WHAT

    By WHAT we refer to the vision that a Leader has with respect to the organization..

    By WHO we refer to the followers of the leader who work towards achieving the VISION of the leader..

    A level 5 leader first cares about WHO i.e. selecting the right people on the BUS who are sure to stand by thick and thin in pursuit of the WHAT i.e. the vision..

    The mistake terrific leaders who fail to achieve Level 5 status do is that they place more emphasis to WHAT and then go for the WHO..Needless to say having wrong people on board makes the VISION go fuzzy after some time..

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great..

  • This is how great leaders exhibit “Internal Locus of Control”

    Level 5 leaders are iconic high performing leaders who are driven by “Internal Locus of Control”.

    Level 5 leaders look out of the window to attribute success to factors other than themselves..

    When things go poorly , however they look in the mirror and blame themselves and take full responsibility..

    The finite minded short term oriented leaders do exactly the opposite – i.e. exhibit EXTERNAL LOCUS of CONTROL.. i.e. take credit for success and blame others for failure

  • Contrasting modes of succession planning adopted by leaders

    There is a big difference between Great & Iconic Leaders(Level 5 Leaders) and Terrific Leaders(Level 4 Leaders) when it comes to Succession Planning as mentioned by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great..

    Whereas Level 5 Leaders set up their successors for EVEN GREATER SUCCESS in the next generation , EGOCENTRIC LEVEL 4 leaders often set up their successors for failure..

  • Level 5 Leaders embody this paradoxical mix

    Level 5 Leaders are iconic leaders who have taken their organizations from Good to Great as mentioned by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great.

    These are leaders who embody a paradoxical mix of Personal Humility and Professional Will.

    They are ambitious for sure but ambitious first and foremost for the company and not for themselves..

  • Getting to the Hedgehog Concept is an iterative process

    A council is a body of of wise men is elected by a Level 5 leader to zero in on the Hedgehog Concept that is best fit for an organization..

    Listed below are the steps that are part of an iterative process which eventually helps shape the best suited Hedgehog concept for an organization..

    1. Ask Questions guided by the THREE CIRCLES of Hedgehog Concept
    2. Dialogue and Debate Constructively Guided by the 3 Circles
    3. Execute Decisions guided by the 3 Circles
    4. Autopsies and Analysis Guided by the 3 Circles

    The formation of the COUNCIL is very critical to reach to a HEDGEHOG CONCEPT and hence needs the right people as mentioned by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great..