Keep Thinking After the Session Ends
I liked what Jim Collins had to say yesterday (see all the live blog posts below!). I’ve always been a fan of Good to Great. But I think that some of his points should come with a warning or caveat.
For example, he made the point that association greatness is not attained simply by being more like businesses. I agree. But don’t let that be an excuse for ignoring what businesses do to be more effective.
Similarly, he talked about the difference between the executive leadership corporate CEOS have, versus the “legislative” power association CEOs must wield. Again, this is an excellent point—there is no single leader in an association. But I worry that this might be an excuse to NOT be bold and decisive. Even within the legislative model, there is room for bold moves.
So I hope that people will take what Jim says and think about it some more. It’s great stuff, but it’s not necessarily the “answer.”