When we launched the Congregational Life Centre, one of our principles was that we would not recommend any process that we had not personally tried out and found effective. The author of this book, Jim Collins, made a similar commitment. He and his research team decided to base their advice only on actual situations and real data.
The struggle comes, of course, in interpreting the data. They took their time, and what emerges is a fascinating picture of what it takes to go from merely good to great. They chose to examine companies, because that gave them access to numerical data. Their insights apply equally to any organization.
The Block.
The first line of the book names the key block. "Good is the enemy of great." He goes on to say, "We don't have great schools because we have good schools. … Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life." That, unfortunately, is true of the vast majority of congregations. If we make our budget or at least pay the bills, that is good enough. What Collins says is "Just good isn't good enough."
Level 5 Leadership
The book is organized around what they have found to be the three requirements for a great organization - disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action.
The key in the people area is what Collins calls "level 5 leadership." These are not the flamboyant high-profile extroverts we might think of. They are "self-effacing, quiet, reserved, even shy - a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will."
They are people who put the welfare of their congregation before career advancement. They are people who believe you can accomplish anything, if you don't care who gets the credit.
The advice for a congregation that wants to become great is simple. "Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats."
The Best in the World
The next step is transcending what Collins calls "the curse of competence." It is not good enough to just be competent. Great organizations have only one goal, to become the best in the world at what they do.
Being great means establishing a clear focus, and then concentrating one's total resources and efforts in that area. "It's not just about building on strength and competence, but about understanding what your organization truly has the potential to be the very best at and sticking to it."
In our consulting, that same principle has become clear. Congregations that try to do all things for all people, do none of them well. Congregations that focus on what they do best not only meet the needs of people who are looking for support in that area, but generate the kind of energy that over-flows into every aspect of life.
No Easy Fix
Good to great does not happen overnight. There is no miracle moment, no magic potion. The process "resembles relentlessly pushing a giant heavy flywheel in one direction, turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthrough, and beyond."
The author sees this as a book with wide potential:
I see my work as being about discovering what creates enduring great organizations of any type. … Good schools might become great schools. Good newspapers might become great newspapers. Good churches might become great churches.
Collins shares real insights based on real situations. It is a must read for anyone serious about being a leader, or leading their congregation out of stagnation and into stellar service.
Jim Collins, Good to Great. Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don't. New York: HarperCollins, 2001. $42 CDN
Congregational Life Newsletter. Nov. 2004. Vol. 11 No. 2.