This inspiring work provides entrepreneurs with building blocks to help their companies sustain high performance, play a leadership role in their industries, and remain great for generations. Includes plenty of real-world examples drawn from Nike, L.L. Bean, Wal-Mart, Federal Express, and other success stories.
The authors claim that two qualities are common to 'visionary' companies: a guiding philosophy and a challenging goal. They have interviewed the leaders and senior managers of 18 world class companies including Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, Walt Disney, 3M and Sony, and examined just what makes them tick and how it is they have outstripped their competitors. The book forms a blueprint for success for companies around the world, who can learn valuable secrets of how to succeed in today's climate of change and fierce competition.
James Collins and Jerry Porras have examined eighteen exceptional and long-lasting companies, including General Electric, Boeing, Disney, Hewlett-Packard and Proctor and Gamble, and compared each with one of its closest but less successful competitors, in order to discover just what has given it the edge over its rivals. What they found out about success and management styles can be learnt and applied by the vast majority of managers at all levels. The new final chapter looks at the implications of the internet - Built to Flip.
Turning Your Business Into an Enduring Great Company
"If you head a small to mid-sized enterprise or one within a larger firm, here is a remarkable book that can help you build an extraordinary organization capable of long-term health and success." "Beyond Entrepreneurship shows how to turn your business into an entity that "sustains high performance, rises to the status of role model, and remains great for generations," in the words of the authors." "Step by step, Collins and Lazier reveal how to lay a foundation for greatness, while a company is still small and adaptable enough to fully embody the values of its leaders." "Drawing on their many years of first-hand experience working in private industry and serving as business consultants, Collins and Lazier cover all the essential aspects of attaining corporate greatness--supported by dozens of real-life examples of firms as diverse as Mrs. Fields Cookies, Continental Cablevision, and Giro Sport Design." "In Beyond Entrepreneurship they provide tested ideas and methods for developing the most effective leadership style for your personality characteristics ... and developing the 7 key elements of a leadership style to inspire real loyalty and dedication." "Then, they move on to an often overlooked function of leadership: catalyzing a vision. Every great company has at its core a compelling vision. You'll discover a clear and useful framework for setting corporate vision--a framework that removes the confusion about this important and elusive topic, yet retains the "spark" that's an essential quality of a motivating and effective overall vision." "Collins and Lazier also discuss and illustrate the four key principles of setting business strategy, and explain how to resolve critical strategic issues--like whether to lead a market or follow--faced by every small to mid-sized firm." "The authors present a set of concepts and practical suggestions for stimulating creativity and keeping your company innovative as it evolves."