Built to last

Anyone tasked with the daunting responsibility of running an organization is faced with the challenge of culture.

In the event that you are the “lucky” successor to a founder or a turn-around situation, the task of what to do, where to go, and how to get there are huge – the culture is either well established, failing, and needs to change, or the culture may have been one of personality, facing a vacuum, and needs to be institutionalized. Collins and Porras look at a series of companies that have transcended this challenge and have developed a visionary culture that withstands the test of time.

Summarizing the basic themes:

* Be an architect and clock builder and design and develop a vision that stand the test of time

* Embrace the “Genius of AND.” – do not accept difficult trade-offs and strive for the near impossible

* Preserve the core/stimulate progress – Develop, hone and ruthlessly protect core values, and innovate around that core

* Seek consistent alignment – Align all stakeholders to the vision of the organization and continue to insure alignment

This is one of the best management book ever written. It clearly articulates how all great enterprises, from companies to individuals, reach greatness, not by time-telling “great ideas”, but from resilience and by building environments that constantly foster innovation.