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How the Mighty Fall CD: And Why Some Companies Never Give In
by
Jim Collins
"Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to yourself than on what the world does to you."--Jim Collins
Decline can be avoided. Decline can be detected. Decline can be reversed.
Amid the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? Ho
...moreAudio CD, 0 pages
Published
June 1st 2009
by HarperAudio
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This confronting book on the stages of decline in an organisation is a must-read for all leaders, no matter what sector they work in. I constantly found myself looking back on my leadership journey reflecting on these principles. At the end of each chapter Collins summarises his thoughts which I have briefly enclosed here (hopefully sufficiently to encourage others to read the entire book):
Five Stages of Decline:
1. Hubris Born of Success: Success entitlement, arrogant neglect...more
Five Stages of Decline:
1. Hubris Born of Success: Success entitlement, arrogant neglect...more
I am a big fan of Jim Collins. I really loved his previous books - “Built to Last” and “Good to Great”. In fact, I consider them amongst the best business books I have ever read.
There are some truly marvelous things about his books – first of all, they are backed by excellent research – hardcore number crunching, countless hours of interviews and analysis; Collins goes into great detail about the origin of the idea, the data collected and analytics behind the findings, the assumption...more
There are some truly marvelous things about his books – first of all, they are backed by excellent research – hardcore number crunching, countless hours of interviews and analysis; Collins goes into great detail about the origin of the idea, the data collected and analytics behind the findings, the assumption...more
This is a great gift in a small package and represents, in my view, the best of Collin's serial strong efforts. In a word, this book is fantastic. Why? Because it's conslusions are as piercingly insightful as always, but this book offers something new as well - it's wisdom works on both the institutional/organizational level and on the personal level. In other words, it's one of the few "business" books that's just as applicable and powerful a tool in a personal context.
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I could just say that this is a typical Jim Collins book and leave it at that, and in fact, that's what it really is. But I would like to do this book justice by saying that this third book (half-admitted that was not planned?) does something a lot of third books in a series (I consider this a series) do: Maintain the integrity of the author. After what i could only imagine as copious amount of studies and research, Jim Collins and his team (I assume he has a team) has done it again. What's so n...more
Another great read from Jim Collins. In this short read, Collins starts with a basic question: How do great companies lose it? Are there common signs to indicate a company--once considered high performing--is now in decline? If so, what are they? And when is it too late to stop the downward slide?
It's a fascinating little read, actually, containing nuggets for all of us. Collins identifies 5 stages that precede a fall: 1) Hubris Born of Success 2) Undisciplined Pursuit of More 3)...more
It's a fascinating little read, actually, containing nuggets for all of us. Collins identifies 5 stages that precede a fall: 1) Hubris Born of Success 2) Undisciplined Pursuit of More 3)...more
I really wanted to enjoy this book as much as I did Good To Great, sadly it just did not live up. While Collins admits that this was more a drawn out research project than a true follow up book, I think it would have suited him better to mine the data a bit more for solid conclusions. What I love about GTG was that it was nearly irrefutable. How The Might Fall is fascinating and walks you through the demise of companies such as Circuit City who were covered in GTG, but have now ceased to oper...more
Worthy of my trademarked award: SO GOOD, I'M READING IT TWICE!(tm) ;)
THE WORLD MAKES SENSE! This and other thoughts flooded my mind after finishing Jim Collins latest literary release. Concise and timely, the information applies to business as well as our personal lives!
I differ with another critics' premise that Mr. Collins' claims that "companies get into trouble because they overreach..."etc. That is NOT what Mr. Collins' found to happen first. There first ...more
THE WORLD MAKES SENSE! This and other thoughts flooded my mind after finishing Jim Collins latest literary release. Concise and timely, the information applies to business as well as our personal lives!
I differ with another critics' premise that Mr. Collins' claims that "companies get into trouble because they overreach..."etc. That is NOT what Mr. Collins' found to happen first. There first ...more
Bom livro do Jim Collins. Me tornei fã do seu trabalho em 2008, quando tive a oportunidade de ler "Good to Great". Sua pesquisa, que não tentarei descrever aqui, reuniu informações históricas de dezenas de empresas ao longo de décadas, mapeando propositadamente grupos de organizações que operaram com modelos de negócio e performance similares por um período, após o mesmo algumas atingindo a excelência e outras falhando em seu propósito. Ou até se extinguindo. Em "Good to Great"...more
Quick read full of great information.
Like Collins' other books, he dives into research to discover why highly successful companies fail. Again, using different companies as examples, he demonstrates 5 stages of decline: 1) Hubris Born of Success 2) Undisciplined Pursuit of More 3) Denial of Risk and Peril 4) Grasping for Salvation and 5) Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death.
He looks at these stages, and how leaders can look for them, or turn a company around if they are...more
Like Collins' other books, he dives into research to discover why highly successful companies fail. Again, using different companies as examples, he demonstrates 5 stages of decline: 1) Hubris Born of Success 2) Undisciplined Pursuit of More 3) Denial of Risk and Peril 4) Grasping for Salvation and 5) Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death.
He looks at these stages, and how leaders can look for them, or turn a company around if they are...more
This book is a result of some excellent research. Any professional, working in any industry and at any level, has a lot to gain from this work.
There were a couple of Collins' observations I was able to relate to, in particular, because I'm currently experiencing them at my place of work. His research shows that one of the main reasons a company that's doing well begins to lose ground is because they get obsessed with growth and pursue other opportunities and markets while neglectin...more
There were a couple of Collins' observations I was able to relate to, in particular, because I'm currently experiencing them at my place of work. His research shows that one of the main reasons a company that's doing well begins to lose ground is because they get obsessed with growth and pursue other opportunities and markets while neglectin...more
Already on my third pass. Listened to it twice driving to Wisconsin and back. Now zipping through the book underlining sections and adding my own illustrations in the margins.
Key: Great orgs. (people) get into trouble more often because they overreach/overextend/overpromise than because they become complacent.
Key: Collins tells a story of running with his wife in the mountains. She appeared to be the picture of health. Yet, just two months later, she had radical tre...more
Key: Great orgs. (people) get into trouble more often because they overreach/overextend/overpromise than because they become complacent.
Key: Collins tells a story of running with his wife in the mountains. She appeared to be the picture of health. Yet, just two months later, she had radical tre...more
I learned why I get burned out and burned by the cycle of incompetence that plagues so many companies and in my case, institutions. "You break Packard's Law and begin to fill key seats with the wrong people; to compensate for the wrong people's inadequacies, you institute bureaucratic procedures; this, in turn, drives away the right people (because they chafe under the bureaucracy, or cannot tolerate working with less competent people, or both); this then invites more bureaucracy to compens...more
This book came across less as a useful tool for avoiding disaster and more as a defense of why so many of the companies profiled in Good to Great failed (answer: they stopped following Collins' advice!) Additionally, Collins gives no data to support his assertions, relying solely on anecdotes and assurances that he has the data and has looked at it.
The biggest flaw is that he's essentially doing a post-mortem risk assessment on these firms, looking at each risk in a vacuum. Unfortu...more
The biggest flaw is that he's essentially doing a post-mortem risk assessment on these firms, looking at each risk in a vacuum. Unfortu...more
At first glance I did not like the book.
A black cover does not appeal to me.
looking at the table of contents my first reaction was a typical airport bookshop book (a.k.a. abb).
The first pages were time consuming (for some reason I was constantly referring to the work of Shet "The self-destructive habits of..."\
But then all at sudden I got fascinated. This stuff is also about persons and professionals. And there are many minor diamonds in ...more
A black cover does not appeal to me.
looking at the table of contents my first reaction was a typical airport bookshop book (a.k.a. abb).
The first pages were time consuming (for some reason I was constantly referring to the work of Shet "The self-destructive habits of..."\
But then all at sudden I got fascinated. This stuff is also about persons and professionals. And there are many minor diamonds in ...more
How the Mighty Fall is a follow-up book to Jim Collins' earlier bestseller Good To Great. Whereas Good to Great tells how some companies reach pinacles of greatness, this book does the opposite, telling how once great companies deal with (or don't deal with) impending business disaster. He uses scientific methods of statistics, media sources, and personal interviews to make his case. Collins has a very readable style that is easily understandable to non-business types, and although his book is a...more
It wasn't exactly uplifting to read case study after case study of once great corporations that fell into ruin through various common, preventable stages:
1. Hubris Born of Success
2. Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3. Denial of Risk and Peril
4. Grasping for Salvation
5. Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
But there's a brighter side! Each bad tale had a flip side story of a company that came through some or all of the stages and turned things around. T...more
1. Hubris Born of Success
2. Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3. Denial of Risk and Peril
4. Grasping for Salvation
5. Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
But there's a brighter side! Each bad tale had a flip side story of a company that came through some or all of the stages and turned things around. T...more
Jim Collins wrote "From Good to Great" and highlighted a number of companies that later came apart during the financial and corporate crises of the last few years. "How the Mighty Fall" does an interesting job of revisiting some of those stories and digging into what happened from good to great to gone. His analysis identifies traits that are worth knowing about and avoiding. He also shares why some organizations work their way through the same challenges that take down the...more
I'm a big fan of "Good to Great," and Collins' latest is a good book. It's a quick read, and it's a good reminder that humility, hard work, and vigilance are the key to staying on top (and, frankly, how you get there to begin with). My review would be higher, but this is such a short book and Collins points out that this book was kind of a side trip on his way to writing something bigger and more extensive. So, I'm looking forward to the next one. That being said, I will probably buy a...more
Descriptive rather than diagnostic, this book feels a bit like a padded-out article (which it is). Easy to read and occasionally thought-provoking, it nevertheless left me feeling unsatisfied, and a cynical reviewer might note that the book feels like an apologia for GOOD TO GREAT, since many of the companies lauded in that classic stumbled and fell in the years following. This book will appeal to fans of Jim Collins, but I'd suggest reading the HBR article rather than the whole book. There's...more
Jim Collins delivers in his latest effort. While this smallish book might not be the instant classic that both Built to Last and Good to Great were, the territory is familiar and comfortable.
Completed last fall as the United States economy was in the midst of implosion, this book offers a research-grounded perspective on how corporate decline can happen. Collins warns that there is no law of nature that the most powerful companies are invincible. Anyone can fall and most eventuall...more
Completed last fall as the United States economy was in the midst of implosion, this book offers a research-grounded perspective on how corporate decline can happen. Collins warns that there is no law of nature that the most powerful companies are invincible. Anyone can fall and most eventuall...more
According to author Jim Collins, mighty companies fall through five stages (hubris born of success, undisciplined pursuit of more, denial of risk and peril, grasping for salvation, and capitulation to irrelevance or death) until they reach either irrelevance or death. But there is hope for companies to turn things arou...nd and stop the fall. His recommendation for doing so is to never give up on the core purpose of your business be willing to change tactics, but never give up on the principle...more
A little while ago, I went back to read "Good to great" also by Jim Collins. I was surprised how much the business landscape had changed from when that book was written only 10 years ago.
Many of the books shining examples of companies making the leap from good to great are no longer with us, or barely recognizable. Rubbermaid. Fannie Mae. Scott paper.
But this works as a companion to that book. It explains that when that book was written, they were great, and this bo...more
Many of the books shining examples of companies making the leap from good to great are no longer with us, or barely recognizable. Rubbermaid. Fannie Mae. Scott paper.
But this works as a companion to that book. It explains that when that book was written, they were great, and this bo...more
Stage 1: Hubris Born of Succes
Stage 2:Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
Leaders never critize those who bring forth harsh realities. "This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convitions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparen...more
Stage 2:Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
Leaders never critize those who bring forth harsh realities. "This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convitions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparen...more
Lauren
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people interested in business, how to run a great company, business history
When it comes the business world portion of my life I have a few gurus who's word and findings I absolutely trust for the truth that they present. Jim Collins is one such author. His seminal work, "Good to Great" was the best business book I have ever read. His first work that he coauthored, "Built to Last" was harder for me to get into, as evidenced by the fact that it still is sitting in my "Currently Reading" list. But this gem, "How The Mighty Fall: And ...more
How The Mighty Fall was an interesting read particularly based on Jim Collin's premise that you need to examine both what makes a company great (ie: his books Built to Last and Good to Great) and what characteristics lead to decline (this particular book). So I appreciated and found the five stages he outlined in How the Mighty Fall valuable in that it gave the reader warning signs to be aware of and identify. The only criticism I have is that Collins stated the topic of this book started out ...more
"Really great book as a follow on to "Good to Great!" His five stages helped me to reflect on some of the mistakes I made in the past as a leader. His five stages are things that are violated all the time in the church world. They are:
Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success
Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance or Death
Read it and Apply It!"
Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success
Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril
Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation
Stage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance or Death
Read it and Apply It!"
Not bad. A bit short on detail, presumably since he conceived of it first as a magazine piece and then expanded it. Seems a bit like promotional material for his consulting practice, but still has some interesting anecdotes on why businesses fail. I wish there were be a fuller treatment -- akin to Jared Diamond's Collapse, but on businesses rather than societies. Then again, I guess jetsetting CEOs wouldn't have time to read stuff like that, more's the pity.
I think we can learn a lot about what makes a company maintain their greatness. It really comes down to a very simple principal - do what you're good at ethically. Having just changed from a career in banking, I can tell you that I saw a lot of downfall from greed. Pure and simple. This book is a great reminder to stay humble and focused on teh original mission. One message I got loud a nd clear - self perpetuation is not a mission. Love this book.
An excellent book to give an overview of where our companies might be today and where they are headed. Good examples and great models... I would suggest that readers try applying the checklist of all the five stages to their respective organizations and seeing if they fit into any of those. I did that with my organization and I could see the parallels leaping out at me... Good pace and a great read...
I can now officially say that I am a disciple of Jim Collins. As always this is a well researched book. And even before I read it I could see why some of the companies that had been in Good to Great & Built to Last had fallen. Having read this book I can say that I've seen this in some of the businesses in my industry that have failed.
All in all another great and must read for anyone starting or already running a business.
All in all another great and must read for anyone starting or already running a business.
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Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies — how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies. Having invested over a decade of research into the topic, Jim has authored or co-authored f...more
More about Jim Collins...
Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies — how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies. Having invested over a decade of research into the topic, Jim has authored or co-authored f...more
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