Customer Reviews

Built To Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

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The next time you see a book that casts a business leader as a mythical or heroic figure, go back to this book and see if the leader passes the 'Level 5 Leader' tests. Sandy Weill, for example, fails that test miserably, since he cares nothing for his company or its employees, and only about feeding his insatiable appetite for personal profit, self-aggrandizement, and great food, in that order. Weill is an example of the so-called celebrity leaders who are very reluctant to groom and name their successors, since they care far more about holding onto their power than for the longer-term welfare of the company and its employees. The last thing you'd see these quasi-leaders do is sacrifice their power or money for longer benefit of the company. Eisner is another perfect example of Emperor-CEO who got paid obscene amount of money and drove out top talents from Disney, while its business and stock prices languished badly.

A perfect business book - erudite, entertaining, and relevant - and a must-read for anyone who ever dreamed of becoming (or simply working for) the true business leader.

Overall, this is an excellent book about how to build a company that will stand the test of time. The authors present the information in a format that is easy to read for the senior executive or someone with no business experience. While the authors present detailed and informative examples of actions that businesses have taken to be successful, the number of examples can become cumbersome. If someone is looking for a quick reference of strategies to improve a company, this is probably not the book for them, but if an individual is looking for an in depth report on techniques used by companies, it would be a useful tool. This book's intent is to show you the cogs that matter and give you some framework by which to align them to drive a company constantly/relentlessly forward. Often managers get lost in the P&L of the day. While that is important, it may not be enough to keep the fiber of the organization together. This book can serve as a reminder to us all of what is important to maintain a business that is financially successful but more importantly keeps its employees and customers happy. This book's simple goal is to shatter two myths that many believe a visionary company is founded upon, the incredibly innovative product and the charismatic leader.

If You are tired of reading management books that are some fictions about how to build great company, that contain a lot of fancy drawings with bubbles, boxes and lines, bloated with buzzwords, but that has very weak/unclear/fuzzy link with the practice, then this book is for You. These guys (authors) have made a capacious 6 year methodical study project to find out why the top-performing companies in long-term perspective (long-term means they are looking at companies, not younger than about 50 years, which have been top-performes during most of their life-time) have succeeded. The study have revealed a lot of surprising facts (for example these results very clearly contradict some far-spread imaginations about good leadership).

Of course the authors still create some buzzwords and stuff, but these are only to facilitate telling the story of research results. I love easy to read nonfiction books with very strong and explicit link to real world practice, and this book is on top of them.

If You are acting in software development industry and are also interested in more short-term (less than 50 to 100 years of) management success, then You might want to read Detlev J. Hoch et al, "Secrets of Software Success" too -- the same review applies to it (except study project lasted for 4 years).

Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras is an essential guide for any new or old organization looking to get started or revitalize its fundamental foundation and business practices. Assembled as a result of a six year long study examining eighteen remarkable and long-lasting companies in relation to each companies top "market" competitor, this book genuinely shows what distinguishes truly visionary companies from the rest. This books begins by briefly describing what visionary companies were chosen for the study and why. For those interested, visionary companies included organizations such as Wal-Mart, American Express, IBM, and Walt Disney, just to name a few.

According to Collins and Porras, a visionary company can neither be founded on a single great idea nor rely on an individual charismatic leader. Those in a visionary company must be willing and able to put the organization first in order not only to make an impact after the death of any individual leader but also to stand the test of time. Essential in any visionary company is a statement of what the company stands for and why it exists - its core ideology consisting of its core values and core purpose. For example, a company must exist for a number of reasons beyond just making money. Along with this statement of core ideology must come a plan for action, a plan to stimulate and drive progress in an organization toward an envisioned future. A key concept from this book is preserving the core of an organization while stimulating progress within that organization. Change in an organization is a constant with respect to everything but the organization's core ideology.

A visionary organization can stimulate progress in a number of ways from setting BHAGs or Big Hairy Audacious goals, to creating and promoting a cult-like culture within the organization, to trying a lot of stuff and keeping what works, and finally, to relying on homegrown management. In a visionary company, good enough never is, there is never an end to the movement for continual progress, and every member in the organization is a key player encouraged to take personal initiative. A visionary company is a great place to work if and only if you strongly agree and adhere to its values and purpose.

This book was not only insightful, but it provided the steps necessary for any organization to take strides toward becoming a visionary company. Although information at times was repetitive, it proved useful in hammering home key concepts crucial to understanding what makes a visionary company truly visionary. The book was an easy read, and the authors were quick to point out that this book is not the "ultimate truth" when it comes to understanding organizations. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is worth a read, and definitely worth the money!

If anyone wants to know about the practices of the best business corporation around the world, this is the book. The companies selected are the best with reference to their policies and vision. And all the analysis is based on the data and facts collected by authors and are available in the book.

No wonder it took 6 years to research and write such a book. A must read for all business students and practitioners. If you want to know how to make a company last for 100 years with all the twists and turns of economic cycles, this is it.

Wow! What a book. In it the authors look at visionary companies and what separates them from their top competitors. This is not a book about charismatic leaders or dynamic products, but a book about vision, values and risk taking. It is a book that every buinessman and pastor ought to read.

For the pastor of a church the greatest strength of Built to Last is that it is a book about business not about the church. The concepts of vision, quality, excellence, leadership training, and of risk taking are all biblical concepts. If God honors non-Christiand when they act according to His principles, how much more will He honor the church of the Living God?

This book is filled with hundred of specific examples how these principles transformed ordinary businesses into visionary companies. The contrast between the visionary companies and their competition is sobering. As I read how the ordinary competition would shoot themselves in the foot time and time again, the picture of the local church came to my mind. The failure to establish vision, to articulate core values, to promote a team atmosphere, and to maintain consistent pastoral leadership has resulted in mediocre churches.

This book seemed to be dealing with something that small rural pastors would never deal with, being a visionary church. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the size of the church is irrelevant. The question is: Are we doing great things for God? What are we trying to do that would only be possible if God were in it.

This book is must reading for every leader, whether he or she leads a business or nonprofit organization.

The authors have exposed corporate myths in this compelling book. We need to know them so that we do not proceed with innacurate optimistic assumptions. I also suggest integration of Optimal Thinking into corporte culture to bring out the best in others and to maximize productivity and profitability. A company of optimizers (instead of managers and employees) is what we all need. I therefore recommend Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self by Dr. Rosalene Glickman in addition to this excellent book.

This is "must" reading for senior managers!
Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

...even though he wrote this one first, I'd recommend reading them in reverse order if you haven't read them before. This (and "Good to Great") are destined to become business bibles, kept hand near every manager's desk and referred to on a regular basis. Great companions to "First, Break All the Rules" and "Now Discover Your Strengths".

As shared before, my review methodology is to give a book some time so I can accurately comment to the degree of which it impacted my life. In the case of "Built to Last," I am writing a review a full 3 years after completing this most excellent book.

I am not exaggerating, then, when I say that this is among a select group of the most powerfully influential business books I've read. There is something about the methodology, the way the conclusions are presented, that makes it stand out as an excellent read. The content is, as some would say, quite "sticky."

Take, for example, their selection criteria for what constitutes an "Visionary Company." The company had to be in business something like 60 years, so they can see how a culture had "outgrown" their genesis business model (think about that!!!). They had to be outstanding market leaders, so there is some tie to the bottom line, and so on. Personally, these metrics have become ingrained, such that I repeatedly find myself gauging where my organization is relative to these metrics.

Secondly, the book expands upon each attribute of a "visionary company," such as having "big hairy audacious goals (BHAG's)," or having what some call a "cult-like culture." Each section expands upon each with direct examples of how the identified companies espouse these attributes.

For example, there is much discussion on how firms such as Boeing is famous of undertaking aggressive projects (BHAG's), or how Nordstrom's culture is so powerful it's akin to oil and water (the right people just fit; the wrong people are self-ejected).

I have found it fascinating, however, to watch the featured companies since completing the book. HP, for example. Why in God's name would HP chose to get into the PC business? This barely appears to align with "The HP Way." And for a while it appeared that Boeing no longer attacked BHAG's when they rejected the notion of a super-sonic passenger airliner, although their involvement in the Joint Task Force Fighter project certainly appeared in-line with their culture.

Finally, I have noted many books whose authors were influenced by this book. Either the book itself was directly referenced, or the ideas were clearly gained from its reading. My recommendation: buy it and read it. I doubt you will ever forget it.