Never, Ever Give Up

Good is the enemy of great.

Greatness is a matter of conscious choice and discipline.

If we only have great business, we will only have a prosperous nation. But we must have great social organizations, schools and churches.

How great enterprises stumble: How the Mighty Fall If it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone. No one is immune, anyone can fall.

You can be sick on the inside and look fine on the outside.

Five stages of decline:

Five Stages of Decline

Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success: outrageous arrogance, and neglect. Bad decisions taken with good intentions are still bad.

Three Level 5 leaders: it is not about them, never, ever give up. Humility separates the Level 5 from the Level 4 leader

A passionate ambition to do “whatever it takes” – humility and passion

Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More: overreaching, too much growth, beyond their ability to execute with excellence

Regulate growth and reach: do we have our key seats filled on the bus with Fantastic People

Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril: warning signs appear. A culture of denial appears. On the outside, you really look great.

The Stockdale Paradox: Vietnam vet, POW. I never waivered in my faith that I would not get out, but this is the defining event of my life and I would not trade it. The optimists did not do well. This is what you must learn: don’t confuse faith and facts…never give up.

Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation: The companies that fell were looking for the silver bullet, the outside savior. Greatness is never a single event but an accumulative process. The flywheel, disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and taking disciplined action, turn upon turn.

Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death: its over, you give up. You squandered your capital, avenues foreclose, game over. Why in the face of all adversity did the 18 Built to Last companies endure the struggle? Because they had a reason. If you measure your success by money, you always lose. We must continue the struggle, we have to endure! Driven by a purpose beyond money and fame. Rooted in core values.

The paradox: core values are not open for negoitiation or change…if we lose our soul we lose it all. The signature of mediocrity: inconsistent effort.

The genius of the “And”: Preserve the Core and Stimulate Progress

To Do List:

  1. Do your diagnostics “Good to Great” Diagnostic tool http://jimcollins.com
  2. Count your blessings: literally in a spreadsheet! Account for all of the good things that happened that we did not cause, it’s humbling.
  3. What is your “questions to statements” ratio and can you double it in the next year. Great leaders ask the right questions. Invest more in being interested than interesting.
  4. How many key seats do you have on your bus?
  5. Do your How the mighty fall teams up/down diagnostic
  6. What are the “brutal facts”?
  7. Have a “Stop Doing” list
  8. Define results and show clicks on the flywheel/milestones. How do you demonstrate clicks on the flywheel.
  9. Double your reach to young people by changing practices without changing values.
  10. Might be time for a new BHAG in these times. Drucker: “Be Useful!” Never give up.

To truly set out to be useful, you can never capitulate, never, never, never give in.