Good-to-Great leaders understand three simple truths!

Today’s wisdom comes from Jim Collins and his book, Good to Great. You’ve heard me talk about Servant Leaders. The fact is Jim Collins was close to using that term and instead went with Level 5 Leaders. I agree that for the masses that was the right decision. Collins felt people would misinterpret the term as fluffy or weak. Servant leadership is anything but that. It’s tough but fair to say the least.

The three simple truths of Good to Great leaders as pointed out on page seven in his book:

First, if you begin with who rather than what, you can more easily adapt to a changing world. If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get 10 miles down the road and you need to change direction? You have a problem.

Second, if you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up.

Third, if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction. You still won’t have a great company. Great vision without great people is irrelevant.

Making bad hiring decisions can cost a company a lot of stress and money. I know, I’ve picked people who were talented but not the right fit. A fit in culture is more important than a fit in knowledge. People can learn the information that they need. Take your time and hire wisely.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: If you would like help in hiring, e-mail me. I’ve learned much that will help you make better decisions.