Great By Choice - Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen

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[amazonsearch]Great By Choice[/amazonsearch]

 

This book was a fascinating profile of so-called 10xers - companies that achieved greatness despite very difficult operating environments. The book compares each 10xer with a "comparison case" of a similar company that had similar opportunities, but somehow didn't manage to capitalize upon them. For instance, Intel is compared with AMD.

 

The 10xer companies profiled are Amgen, Biomet, Intel, Microsoft, Progressive Insurance, SW Airlines and Stryker.

 

The book does a thorough job of comparing the companies based upon empirical data, and it gives many examples of where the 10xer company did something right, mainly due to their in-built culture. The authors also talk about the role of luck (inconsequential when it comes down to it) and the role of the three essential qualities of the 10xer management team.

 

Discipline, Paranoia and Creativity are the three quintessential 10xer qualities. As a small business owner, I found the book both inspiring and useful. The research was both meticulous and well-presented.

 

Paul