Those who turn good organizations into great organizations are motivated by a deep creative urge and an inner compulsion for sheer unadulterated excellence for its own sake.
James C. CollinsRead
If we allow the celebrity rock-star model of leadership to triumph, we will see the decline of corporations and institutions of all types. The twentieth century was a century of greatness, but we face the very real prospect that the next century will see very few enduring great institutions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Celebrity-like leadership can undermine the stability of organizations.
James C. Collins warns that if leadership is modeled after the celebrity rock-star approach, characterized by a focus on individual charisma rather than collective capability, organizations and institutions may weaken and fail to endure. He reflects on the greatness of the twentieth century, highlighting the importance of strong, lasting institutions, and expresses concern that future leadership trends could lead to decline in institutional integrity and effectiveness.
Themes
LeadershipInstitutionsCelebrityGreatnessDecline
In practice
Example use cases
During a corporate leadership seminar, this quote can emphasize the importance of stable leadership.
More from James C. Collins
All quotes →The kind of commitment I find among the best performers across virtually every field is a single-minded passion for what they do, an unwavering desire for excellence in the way they think and the way they work. Genuine confidence is what launches you out of bed in the morning, and through your day with a spring in your step.
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...the question, Why try for greatness? would seem almost tautological. If you're doing something you care that much about, and you believe in its purpose deeply enough, then it is impossible to imagine not trying to make it great. It's just a given.
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Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats...
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It may seem odd to talk about something as soft and fuzzy as "passion" as an integral part of a strategic framework. But throughout the good-to-great companies, passion became a key part of the Hedgehog Concept.
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A visionary company doesn't simply balance between idealism and profitability: it seeks to be highly idealistic and highly profitable. A visionary company doesn't simply balance between preserving a tightly held core ideology and stimulating vigorous change and movement; it does both to an extreme.
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