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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A successful company harmonizes strong ideals with high profitability while embracing both core values and change.
This quote by James C. Collins emphasizes that a visionary company does not choose between having a strong ideology and being profitable; instead, it strives to excel in both aspects simultaneously. It suggests that true greatness in business lies in the ability to maintain foundational principles while also being adaptable and open to significant changes that drive growth and innovation.
Themes
VisionaryCompanyIdealismProfitabilityCore IdeologyChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a business seminar discussing the duality of ideals and profits.
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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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.
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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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