Leadership Summit 2010: Jim Collins

Session 2:  Jim Collins - "Never, Ever Give Up"

So, just as the full import of Bill Hybels' words about leadership and the challenge to listen and heed God's whisper were hitting my heart and mind, Jim Collins took the stage.  It was only session two, and I was beginning to take notes on auto pilot.

Jim Collins is best known for his book, "Good to Great" and his leadership theme is all about studying what sets apart great leaders from good leaders.  Highlights from his talk:

• Good is the enemy of great. I think I could stop and write a whole blog about this thought alone.  The temptation to settle for good is enormous at times, but great is what I'm after.
• Great is not a matter of circumstances.  It is a matter of conscious choice and discipline.  Greatness never happens on accident.  
• Any leader can fall, many do, but some don't.  There are 5 stages of decline for any organization. Often, it is possible to look healthy on the outside, but be very sick on the inside.
• Stage 1: Hubris born of success.  It is not success to that leads to failure, it's hubris - outrageous arrogance.  Humility is the signature that sets apart great leaders.
• Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More.  Always regulate growth by asking whether or not all of the key seats on the team are filled with FANTASTIC people.  If they're not, resist the urge to grow until they are.  
• Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril.  Never confuse faith with facts.  Never confuse the need for absolute faith that you can and will prevail ultimately with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of today.
• Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation.  Greatness is never a single event, it's a cumulative process. Greatness is disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought taking disciplined action.
• Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death.  If you measure your success by money, you will always lose.  Winners have an answer to the question, "What will be lost if we leave?" and it gives them a reason to endure the struggles.  The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.

To Do List:

1. Do your diagnostics.  (www.jimcollins.com) 
2. Count your blessings.  When we begin to account for all the good things that we did not cause, it's humbling.
3. Fill the seats on your bus with FANTASTIC people.
4. With your team, create an inventory of the brutal facts, ie: Why we can't stay "here". 
5. Create a "stop doing" list to go beside your "to do" list.
6. Define results, recognize milestones.
7. Double your reach to young people by changing your practices without changing core values.
8. Set a BHAG (Big. Hairy. Audacious. Goal.)