Jim Collins’ books—especially Built to Last and Good to Great—are staples for most leaders across multiple spheres of industries. I’ve just read a sample of his latest effort, Great by Choice, on my Kindle and I’m ready to plop down a rather non-Kindle-esque price tag for the full content.
(http://www.amazon.com/Great-Choice-Uncertainty-Luck–Why-Despite/dp/0062120999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318875914&sr=8-1)
Why? Great by Choice examines how certain companies—such as Southwest Airlines—have thrived during seasons of massive upheaval, ambiguity and change. There are many additional adjectives to describe the current—and probably future—state of our global marketplace, but these three certainly fit the bill.
A key thread in both the title and the content I’ve read so far is best captured by another word: intentional. “Choice” implies intention. Intention is sorely deficient these days, often because there are too many choices colliding with a fuzzy sense of one’s core goals and strategies. We often lack a cohesive plan, and therefore jump at whatever tactic wanders by.
I’m looking forward to sitting at Collins’ feet again and learning even more best practices for cutting through choice clutter, and making intentional choices for sustained greatness.