Best-selling author Jim Collins reminded his audience that Wal Mart started as a single dime store. So what sets apart the great from the good?
Collins believes greatness is not a function of circumstances, but instead the result of conscious choice and discipline.
Turning to the subject of why and how companies fail, he cited the perils of rapid growth, or what he termed the “undisciplined pursuit of more.”
Higher growth loses out to disciplined growth every time, he noted.
Finally, Collins observed that from a leadership perspective, what you do before the storm is more important than what you do after. Denial of risk and peril is a critical mistake.
Collins is an entertaining and dynamic speaker — if you have a chance to hear him speak, don’t pass it up!