Great By Choice - Book Review

"Those who spend most of their energy 'reacting to change' will do exactly that, expend most of their energy reacting to change. In a great twist of irony, those who bring about the most significant change in the world, those who have the largest impact on the economy and society, are themselves enormously consistent in their approach. They aren't dogmatic or rigid; they're disciplined, they're creative, they're paranoid. They're SMaC!"
Great By Choice by Jim Collins

And now you want to know what SMaC is! Well, you'll have to read the book. Great teaser. :)

Originally I picked this book up because it was required reading for my job. It's written from a corporate perspective, so I was curious as to how it identified with the non-profit. As I began reading the book, I noticed that it could apply to not just corporate world, but also to non-profits, churches, groups and even individuals seeking to direct and focus their lives. It was an excellent book with some very good principles about longevity, discipline, change and perspective that can be applicable to anyone wanting to be an agent of change or to an organization wanting to survive for the long haul.

The book is a study of ten corporations that Collins calls "10xers" who have shown exponential growth and a comparison to sister companies who did not show the same amount of growth. The research in the book is trying to pin point what the "10xers" did that was different compared to their sister companies. He highlights some very specific things and gives them names and word pictures to help the reader identify these things in his or her own life and organization. It seems like a very heavy read, but its actually not. Collins has life stories to go with each principle both the success and the failures to help illustrate the points, and the book reads like a chat over coffee.  The best part is that the principles taught in this book build on each other!

If you are looking for ways to guide your organization or disciplines to put into your own life to make you a successful person, this would be a great start. There is much talk about luck and unexpected circumstances, and Collins takes that and helps the reader see that there are things within his or her control that can be done in order to ease the unexpected. I highly recommend this book.