Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't

by Jim Collins

Characteristics of the Council The council exists as a device to gain understanding about important issues facing the organization. The Council is assembled and used by the leading executive and usually consists of five to twelve people. Each Council member has the ability to argue and debate in search of understanding, not from the egoistic need to win a point or protect a parochial interest. Each Council member retains the respect of every other Council member, without exception. Council members come from a range of perspectives, but each member has deep knowledge about some aspect of the organization and/or the environment in which it operates. The Council includes key members of the management team but is not limited to members of the management team, nor is every executive automatically a member. The Council is a standing body, not an ad hoc committee assembled for a specific project. The Council meets periodically, as much as once a week or as infrequently as once per quarter. The Council does not seek consensus, recognizing that consensus decisions are often at odds with intelligent decisions. The responsibility for the final decision remains with the leading executive.