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What's Next After "Good To Great"?

Jim Collins changed the way a great many people think and talk about business with his books "Built To Last" and "Good To Great." Monday he shared an idea that just might join these two mega-sellers in a trilogy.

Each of Collins' books (he was co-author of "Built To Last") sprung from years of research trying to answer one really big question. First it was "How do you build great, enduring companies?" Then, "Why do some companies make a leap from good to great, and others don't?" Now, he might just have his next big question. "Why do some companies prevail against all odds, where others don't?" Collins said during a SIMposium conference in Chicago on IT leadership. "We'll get back to you."

Collins is talking about how companies endure factors their leaders couldn't possibly have anticipated or prepared for. It's an important question because companies exist in a more precarious environment today—insert your favorites here, from global competition to short-term-focused capital markets. Collins didn't dwell on the forces, but, as he invariably does, he offered a vivid analogy for the state companies live in today: "We're higher on the mountain. If you're hit by a storm at 14,000 feet, you'll probably be all right. If you're hit by a storm at 26,000 feet on Everest, you'll die."

I'm a great fan of Collins' work. And it was clear from the SIMposium audience's interest that IT professionals consider "Built To Last" and "Good To Great" relevant to their work. If anyone wonders if there would be interest in another business/management book from Collins, consider: At the end of his session, which included an hour presentation by Collins and more than an hour of discussion he led with three CEO-CIO teams, the still-packed conference room responded with a standing ovation.

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