Book Review: “Great by Choice” by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
Title
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All Author Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen, HarperCollins Publishers, 2011.
Major Thesis/Summary
Mr. Collins's book addresses the question of how to conduct a company to durable success in an environment determined by change, uncertainty and even chaos when says: “Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not?” (Collins & Hansen, 2011, p. 1-2). This book builds its resulting conclusions on a framework of careful research, conducted over nine years (Collins & Hansen, 2011, p.1) by Mr. Jim Collins and his co-author, Morten T. Hansen.
Collins and Hansen examine …show more content…
Here, they explain that true discipline requires mental autonomy or independence, also, the ability to stay consistent in the challenge of social pressures. Fanatic discipline can also be related to being a non-conformist. They connect discipline to the “20 Mile Marching”, a similitude that also teaches discipline. Reaching specific performance markers in the lieu of consistency for long periods of time, requires outstanding performance in difficult moments and holding back in easier times; also, demonstrating self-control moments when everything seem out of control. In Chapter 4, the authors present the concept of “Empirical Creativity” as a level of confidence that can also look like boldness; hence, being empirical allows these leaders to make bold moves and bound partake some risk. Being empirical does not mean being totally indecisive; it does not favor analytical thinking over actions, it favors being empiric as the base for a decisive action. Here, the metaphor of “Fire bullets, then Cannonballs”, is used to communicate a truth: bullets are low cost, less distractive and carry lower risk while granting time and calibration before firing of the cannonball. Approaching Chapter 5, the “Productive Paranoia” represented the concept of creative action. Preparation for worst‐case scenarios will reduce the chances that a negative event or bad luck will stop those leaders from produce creative work. They use this metaphor this time: “Leading Above the Death Line”, expressing what good leaders do before the storm comes and hits the ability to take decisions; it is those shock absorbers that are in place that certainly matter the most in positioning an enterprise to pull ahead, or in the contrary, when those enterprises fall behind and die in the storm. “10Xers” construct those buffers beyond of what others do. Finally, in regards of the mentioned
Title
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All Author Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen, HarperCollins Publishers, 2011.
Major Thesis/Summary
Mr. Collins's book addresses the question of how to conduct a company to durable success in an environment determined by change, uncertainty and even chaos when says: “Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not?” (Collins & Hansen, 2011, p. 1-2). This book builds its resulting conclusions on a framework of careful research, conducted over nine years (Collins & Hansen, 2011, p.1) by Mr. Jim Collins and his co-author, Morten T. Hansen.
Collins and Hansen examine …show more content…
Here, they explain that true discipline requires mental autonomy or independence, also, the ability to stay consistent in the challenge of social pressures. Fanatic discipline can also be related to being a non-conformist. They connect discipline to the “20 Mile Marching”, a similitude that also teaches discipline. Reaching specific performance markers in the lieu of consistency for long periods of time, requires outstanding performance in difficult moments and holding back in easier times; also, demonstrating self-control moments when everything seem out of control. In Chapter 4, the authors present the concept of “Empirical Creativity” as a level of confidence that can also look like boldness; hence, being empirical allows these leaders to make bold moves and bound partake some risk. Being empirical does not mean being totally indecisive; it does not favor analytical thinking over actions, it favors being empiric as the base for a decisive action. Here, the metaphor of “Fire bullets, then Cannonballs”, is used to communicate a truth: bullets are low cost, less distractive and carry lower risk while granting time and calibration before firing of the cannonball. Approaching Chapter 5, the “Productive Paranoia” represented the concept of creative action. Preparation for worst‐case scenarios will reduce the chances that a negative event or bad luck will stop those leaders from produce creative work. They use this metaphor this time: “Leading Above the Death Line”, expressing what good leaders do before the storm comes and hits the ability to take decisions; it is those shock absorbers that are in place that certainly matter the most in positioning an enterprise to pull ahead, or in the contrary, when those enterprises fall behind and die in the storm. “10Xers” construct those buffers beyond of what others do. Finally, in regards of the mentioned