Skip to content
Good to Great book cover

Cover: Open Library

BusinessAdvanced

Good to Great

by Jim Collins

★★★★★ 4/5 · Poornadnyan rating

The big idea

Companies that made the leap from good to great shared humble but determined leaders, the right people, brutal honesty about facts and a steady "flywheel" of progress.

Read it if…

Managers, founders and leaders thinking about building something that lasts.

Skip it if…

You are still at the idea stage – this is about growing an existing organisation.

Key ideas in 2 minutes

  1. Get the right people on the bus before deciding where to drive it.
  2. Find your "hedgehog": where passion, being the best and your economic engine meet.
  3. Great results come from steady pushes on a flywheel, not one dramatic moment.

Our review

A research-based classic full of memorable ideas. Some of the companies featured later struggled, so treat the lessons as principles to think with rather than guarantees.

The flywheel and "first who, then what" chapters alone are worth the read for anyone building a team.

As an Amazon Associate, Poornadnyan earns from qualifying purchases – at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep our reviews free. Learn more

More in Business & Startups

Shoe Dog book cover
BusinessBeginner

Shoe Dog

Phil Knight

★★★★★

The founder of Nike tells the messy, nerve-racking true story of building a company – the debts, the near-failures and the people…

Connect the Dots book cover
BusinessBeginner

Connect the Dots

Rashmi Bansal

★★★★★

Twenty Indian entrepreneurs without MBAs show that you can build a business from wherever you are, with whatever you have.

The $100 Startup book cover
BusinessBeginner

The $100 Startup

Chris Guillebeau

★★★★★

Many successful small businesses start with very little money by combining a skill you have with something people will happily pay for.