Book Notes/Good to Great

Good to Great

by Jim Collins

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins explores the factors that enable companies to transition from being merely good to achieving sustained greatness. Through extensive research, Collins identifies key concepts such as Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, and the importance of a strong company culture, illustrating how these elements contribute to long-term success. The book emphasizes that greatness is not a function of circumstance but a choice made by organizations.

17 curated highlights from this book

Key Insights & Memorable Quotes

Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from Good to Great, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.

Good is the enemy of great.
Great vision without great people is irrelevant.
You can’t be great if you don’t have the right people on your team.
The best companies are those that are disciplined in their decision-making.
The key to greatness is to be in the right place at the right time.
Level 5 leaders channel their ego away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.
A culture of discipline is not a principle of business; it is a principle of greatness.
Technology alone cannot create a great company; it must be applied with a disciplined approach.
Good-to-great companies focus on what they can be the best at.
In the end, it’s not the resources you have but how you manage them that counts.
The right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.
You can’t make a great company with a mediocre team.
The best companies focus on what they can be the best at.
Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.
Technology as an accelerator, not a creator.
The flywheel effect: small, incremental improvements that lead to breakthroughs.