The next lesson from ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins  is that the breakthrough to success is a slow build-up process.  Something like pushing on a heavy flywheel.  If you keep pushing on the flywheel it will slowly build up momentum.  Eventually with enough pushes the flywheel will start spinning on its own and take off.  Collins was researching what made good companies become great companies.  This research does not just apply to organisations.  Most importantly we can also learn lessons from the research to apply in our own lives.

The Flywheel

There is no one single push on the wheel that makes it take off.  Each little push on the flywheel in the right direction helps to build up momentum and leads to breakthrough to success.  In short if you consistently apply each of the concepts discussed in the book then eventually you will reach breakthrough.  Do you remember all the key concepts that we have discussed in this series of articles drawn from the research?  Just to refresh your memory here they are again:

1. Great leadership – humble with absolute focus and stoic determination to succeed.
2. Who first then what – get the right people around you (kinda like the no asshole rule!).
3. Confront the brutal facts – face up to reality and seek out the truth at all times.
4. Find your hedgehog concept – something you love to do, you are really good at and pays well.
5. Have a culture of discipline – stay true to your hedgehog concept and say NO often.
6. Use technology as an accelerator – work out how to apply selected technologies as an accelerator of momentum and not as a creator of momentum.

Keep working on the above concepts with consistency and keep focused and motivated by your vision for the future and push that big flywheel a little every day and eventually it will take off by itself.

The Doom Loop

In contrast to the above steps the Doom Loop is where you demonstrate chronic inconsistency and stray from outside the three circles of your hedgehog concept (below).  The doom loop focuses on posturing and looking good in the short term rather than doing the groundwork that needs to be done for long term success (such as facing up to reality and getting clarity on your hedgehog concept).

Loads to reflect on!

Best wishes,

Tom

P.S. Check out all my online courses here.  Check out Good to Great on Amazon below.  The book was first published in 2001 but is still as relevant as ever today (the fundamentals don’t change!).