Great By Choice - Review

What makes a leader great? What are the defining characteristics of those who have excelled above and beyond the competition? Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen have explored ideas surrounding greatness and leadership for many years. Their works titled, Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall, and Built to Last have had great influence over the world of business and leadership. Their next work, Great by Choice, builds off of their previous research and identifies the qualities of "10Xers". It is an insightful book that is true to the Collins / Hansen form and consists of original research, keen analysis, and practical application. This is a compelling read that opens the door to lots of self-evaluation. Each chapter left me with an interesting thought or question and drew me to hash ideas out on the dry erase board. It was great! Collins and Hansen make an effort to explain the research behind their conclusions and stress the extensiveness of their academic work. They coin the phrase "10Xer" to define those who have outperformed the competition by a multitude of ten. Each case study felt a bit cherry picked but convincingly proved the thesis of Great by Choice. Five unique identifiers differentiate great leaders and their approach towards success. They are discussed sequentially and convincingly one chapter at a time. The authors include an incredibly useful summary at the end of each chapter which would serve well for a group discussion time.

I would highly recommend reading this book. It was insightful, interesting, and provocative. This would be a great team read for any organization. Read it with the expectation to do some work afterwords; the ideas will challenge you and provide several concise calls to action!