1. Results of Porras & Collins Study and book Built to Last
Shared Vision
Results of Porras & Collins
Study and book
Built to Last
This was Jim Collins 1st big book -- called Built to Last. Later he wrote another famous book……what is it called?
Shared Values

2. What companies were studied? How old were the companies?
Reliable Data ??
Jerry Porras
Jim Collins
How long was the study?
What companies were studied?
How old were the companies?
Did the researchers compare the companies with others?
For this study:
Duration = 6 years
Looked at 20 “visionary companies”
The youngest was founded in 1945, oldest in 1812
Also looked at “regular” companies to be sure the visionary companies were truly different.

3. Which one do you think is MOST important??? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
What “Timeless” Principles were Reported in Built to Last? Fill in the 4 from your LC Leader B
Looked at 9 areas
Which one do you think is MOST important???
10 principles were studied:
Clock building not time telling
Embrace the genius of the “AND”
Preserve the core and stimulate progress
Seek consistent alignment
Big, hairy audacious goals
Cult-like cultures
Try a lot of stuff and keep what is working
Home grown leaders
Good is never enough

4. Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals (BHAGs)
Visionary companies used bold missions as a powerful mechanism to stimulate progress
BHAG reaches out and grabs people in the gut. It is energizing and highly focused. People “get it” right away.
Don’t forget B-HAG’S

5. Cult-like Cultures
Visionary companies were more demanding of their people in terms of congruence with the ideology.
Such clarity about who they are and what they are trying to achieve leaves little room for people unsuited to their demanding standards
Some cults are okay!

6. Try a lot of stuff and keep what works.
Before there was the Swoosh, before there was Nike, there were two visionary men who pioneered a revolution in athletic footwear that redefined the industry.
Bill Bowerman was a nationally respected track and field coach at the University of Oregon, who was constantly seeking ways to give his athletes a competitive advantage. He experimented with different track surfaces, re-hydration drinks and – most importantly – innovations in running shoes. But the established footwear manufacturers of the 1950s ignored the ideas he tried to offer them, so Bowerman began cobbling shoes for his runners.
Visionary companies often made their best moves by experimentation and “purposeful” accident.
They were able to evolve and adapt to the environment with incremental mutations.
It is okay to fail as long as you keep trying!
Try a lot of stuff and keep what works.

7. Home-grown Leaders
Executive Leaders
Meet GE's new generation of growth leaders - the men and women who are driving GE's many businesses. Highly regarded as the top leaders in their industries, each is leading their respective organizations to become closer to their customers, while finding new operational efficiencies and ways to work toward a better future.
Ecomagination puts into practice GE's belief that financial and environmental performance can work together to drive company growth, while taking on some of the world's biggest challenges.
Visionary companies develop, promote, and carefully select leadership from within the company.
It is not just the quality of the leadership, it is the continuity of the leadership.
Is home-grown better????? Some people resist the “home-grown” finding. Why?

8. Good enough never is enough…
“How can we do better tomorrow than we did today?”
Visionary companies institutionalize this question as a way of life.
It is not a treat to keep looking for a better answer.
Good enough never is enough…