From Good to Great.

If "even the mighty can fall", how do organisations ensure they tread carefully each step to go from being good to great and maintain their greatness to last. According to Jim Collins in his team's research findings in the books "Good to Great" and "Built to Last", there are 4 stages to transit from being good to great and to continue in greatness.

Stage 1: Disciplined people.

Stage 2: Disciplined thought.

Stage 3: Disciplined action.

Stage 4: Building greatness to last.

Stage 1: Disciplined people

Great lasting organisations have continual succession of level 5 leadership to carry on guiding their people and organisation towards greatness. Level 5 leaders are not commonly found (looking at how few the number of great organisations that have truly stand the test of time). Level 5 leaders are highly ambitious, but not for themselves. They are ambitious in championing the mission and purpose of their organisation. They will do whatever it takes to live out the mission and purpose of their organisation and ensures others in their organisation do likewise. Such level 5 leaders are humble but possess an exceptionally strong will to ensure their organisation work their best to live out their mission and purpose they are serving. Such level 5 leaders in their humility, look not inwardly to themselves for personal gains, but instead look outwards to build the best out of their people and organisation.

Great lasting organisations ensure they have the right people in their organisation (people who live out their organisational values, mission and purpose). They focus first and foremost on recruiting the right people to their key seats before deciding what these right people should do. The right people in key positions will naturally work together to ensure they take their organisation in the direction of fulfiling their mission and purpose. The wrong people in the organisation who do not live out the values, mission and purpose are promptly taken off the organisation.

Stage 2: Disciplined thought

Great lasting organisations do not avoid any confrontations of their problems and difficulties. They will do whatever they can to deal with and find solutions to their most brutal problems, mistakes and difficulties they face.

Such organisations also stick to the "hedgehog concept". The hedgehog concept embodies three principles:-

1. Continue to do what one can be the best in the world at doing (and keep improving in doing it).

2. Continue to do what one is deeply passionate about.

3. Continue to do what best drives one's economic or resource engine.

Stage 3: Disciplined action 

Great lasting organisations have disciplined people. Such organisations enjoy a culture of freedom as their disciplined people work within a framework of responsibilities. Disciplined people take on responsibilities instead of jobs.

Such organisations function as though they are pushing steadily onto a giant flywheel, making turns upon turns, building up the momentum of the flywheel until they see a breakthrough. They are not hasty in trying to make quick breakthroughs with some grandiose program or actions. They understand the need to carefully build up their organisation towards greatness.

Stage 4: Building greatness to last

Great lasting organisations are built through many generations of level 5 leaders in succession. Level 5 leaders over many generations have built into their organisation mechanisms that stimulate progress. The success of the organisation does not depend solely upon the charisma of any one single leader or great idea. 

Such organisations are able to continue in existence as they remain in living out their core values, mission and purpose which stand the test of time. However, they are also able to make significant progress by constantly adapting to the changing world in their operating strategies and cultural practices. 

Conclusion

Building a great lasting organisation requires discipline, humility and a strong professional will of it's people to live out a set of timeless core values to commit to greatness in fulfilling meaningful purpose(s) in it's service. 

Disciplined people. Disciplined thought. Disciplined action. Building greatness to last.