8 lessons for your company to transition from good to great based on the book, Good To Great by Jim Collins, that any size company can apply. Especially great for leaders to discover what their company is currently doing right and how you can adjust to achieve success and last over time.

1. 8 Sure Fire Ways To Make
Your Company Go From
Good To Great by Jim
Collins
Source: Flickr CC Dennis Wilkinson

2. Good To Great By Jim Collins
• Analyzed 11 companies that
were selected based on a
period of growth and
sustained success that was
far beyond the market or
industry average – made the
transition from good to great
• Used 11 comparison
companies that were in the
same industry and had similar
opportunities – did not make
the transition from good to
great

3. Typical Business Problems
1. Shifting the blame rather than taking responsibility
2. Focusing on the problems not the solutions
3. Avoiding the truth that something is going wrong
and needs to change
4. Not staying focused
5. Going after too many opportunities
6. Getting distracted by new trends
7. Going back and forth with decisions
8. No solid foundation to last for the future

4. How Good To Great Addresses
These Problems
1. Leaders who plan for success beyond their term
2. Having the right people before creating the
strategy for your business
3. Not afraid to pivot the business based on data
and research
4. Find the one thing that makes your company
great and stick to it
5. Stay disciplined
6. Only incorporate technology when it fits your
company’s vision, not because it’s trendy
7. Once you gain positive momentum, build upon it
8. Build a company that is sustainable for the future

5. Source: Flickr CC Gabe Austin
PROBLEM: SHIFTING THE BLAME

6. SOLUTION: LEVEL 5 LEADERSHIP
Level 5 qualities:
• Planning for the future so
the next successor can
achieve even greater
success
• More plow horse than
show horse
• Take full responsibility
rather than shifting the
blame
Source: Flickr CC Pedro Ribeiro Simoes

7. PROBLEM: NOT FOCUSING ON SOLUTIONS
Source: Flickr CC Nick Wheeler

8. SOLUTION: NEED THE RIGHT PEOPLE
• Assemble a high-quality, high-talent
team before developing a strategy
• Decide if the person is in the wrong
seat or should not be on the bus and
then act on it
• Put your best people on your biggest
opportunities
Source: Flickr CC Bill McChesney

9. Source: Flickr CC Andrixnet64
PROBLEM: AVOIDING TRUTHS

10. SOLUTION: CONFRONT BRUTAL
• Lead with questions, not
answers
• Find the problem without blame
• Focus on consumer trends and
preferences and don’t be afraid
to make a change
Source: Flickr CC Fredrik Rubensson
FACTS

11. Source: Flickr CC Tambako The Jaguar
PROBLEM: NOT FOCUSED
• The Fox is impressively
clever, but pursues
many ends at the same
time and becomes
scattered

12. Source: Geograph.org.uk
SOLUTION: BE A HEDGEHOG!
• The Hedgehog's simple but
surprisingly effective response
is to roll up into a ball
• Stick to your “one big thing”

13. THE HEDGEHOG PROCESS
WHAT YOU
CAN BE THE
BEST IN THE
WORLD AT
WHAT
DRIVES
YOUR
ECONOMIC
ENGINE
WHAT YOU ARE
DEEPLY
PASSIONATE
ABOUT
What you get out of the
Hedgehog Process is the
understanding of what
gets your customer in the
door, clarity of where you
are headed, and the
confidence around how
you are different.

14. Source: Flickr CC Carterse
PROBLEM: CHASING OPPORTUNITIES

15. • Stay fanatically
consistent to your
Hedgehog circles
• Discipline should not be
based on fear and
tyranny
• “Stop doing” lists are
more important than “to
do” lists
Source: Flickr CC David Yu
SOLUTION: STAY DISCIPLINED

16. Source: Flickr CC Ewan Topping
PROBLEM: SHINY OBJECTS

17. • Use technology as an accelerator of
momentum, not a creator of it
• Mediocre companies are motivated by
the fear of being left behind
• Great companies are motivated by the
potential of results
Source: Flickr CC Justin Taylor
SOLUTION: DOES IT FIT?

18. Source: Flickr CC Austin Kirk
PROBLEM: DOOM LOOP
• Reactive decision-making
• Overextension into too
many diverse areas
• Frequent changes in
leadership and personnel
• Disappointing results

19. • Success or failure does
NOT occur suddenly
• Gain years of positive
or negative momentum
• Reinforce hedgehog
competencies
Source: Flickr CC Ken Bosma
SOLUTION: FLYWHEEL

20. PROBLEM: NO SOLID FOUNDATION
Source: Flickr CC Realize_photo

21. • Don’t need a “great idea”, instead need a
company that can prosper beyond any
single leader
• Pursue seemingly unachievable goals to
become a visionary
• Be prepared to change everything about
the company except the basic beliefs
Source: Flickr CC Craig Damlo
SOLUTION: BUILT TO LAST

22. How We Applied The
Principles

23. FROM CONCEPT TO ACTION
• Wanted to take these principals out
of the theory and figure out how to
apply them to our company
• Brainstorm how each of these
concepts effect our business and
reflect often to make sure we are on
the right track
Source: Graphic Stock

24. Source: Flickr CC Rachel Kramer
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
• Level 5 Leader.
Check.
• Our CEO embodies
the plow horse not
show horse model by
not telling team
members to figure it
out, but trying it
himself and being
accountable to work
just as hard as his
team

25. OPPORTUNITY & TRANSPARENCY
• We have several opportunities
to “raise the red flag” so
everyone is in the loop and has
a voice
– Anonymous tool to
evaluate how each team
member feels each week
– Weekly meetings with
pressing discussion topics
Source: Flickr CC Mustafa Khayat

26. Source: Flickr CC Kecko
ON OR OFF THE BUS, SWITCH SEATS
• When an employee is
struggling, give them the
option to try switching seats
before getting off the bus
• We found that some people
were not a fit for their seat or
the bus
• With others we found that we
were not playing to their
strengths and gave them the
opportunity to have a role to
succeed

27. OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAKE SENSE
Source: Flickr CC Yoel Ben-Avraham
• Staying true to our Hedgehog was more
difficult than we thought because new and
exciting opportunities always come up
• However, anything that is out of our
normal process our team debates and
evaluates to make sure we stay true to the
3 circles

28. Source: Flickr CC Kim Alaniz
AVOID SHINY OBJECTS
• Even though we are a digital agency, we try
not to be swayed by shiny objects
• We stick to our process of research and
audience alignment to make sure these new
offerings make sense for us
• Just because all your friends are on
Snapchat, doesn’t mean your business
should be

29. THANK YOU!
Connect
with me!
Alix Parker
Digital Strategy
Manager
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