Good to Greatby Jim Collins

Jennifer Zajac

Fundamentals of Educational Administration

Kent State University

Research

• Five-year research study• Criteria - triple market performance over a

15 year period• Included a comparison study• Identified key differential components

Findings

• Level 5 Leadership• First Who…Then What• Confront the Brutal Facts (but don’t lose

faith)• The Hedgehog Concept• A Culture of Discipline• Technology Accelerator• The Flywheel and the Doom Loop

Level 5 Leadership

• Personal humility and professional will• Set successors up for success• Humble• Determined to achieve results• Window and Mirror

First Who…Then What

• First, get the right people on board– Character, work ethic, basic intelligence,

dedication to fulfilling commitments, values

• Then determine a direction for the company

• Comparable pay

Confront the Brutal Facts

• Stockdale Paradox• Culture that appreciates truth

– Lead with questions– Dialogue and debate– Investigate– Red flag mechanism

• Ignoring the facts de-motivates people

The Hedgehog Concept

• Create a council to “Confront the brutal facts” and keep the company focused on the three circles

• Takes time to develop (avg. 4 yrs.)

Culture of Discipline

• Disciplined people• Disciplined thought• Disciplined action• “Stop Doing” list

Technology Accelerators

• Technology is an accelerator, not the focus• Crawl, walk, run

The Flywheel and the Doom Loop

• Buildup leads to breakthrough• No focus on “motivating the troops”• Doom Loop

– Attempt to do the “next best thing” with no lead up

– Embrace fads– Inconsistent– Lack of forethought

Implications for Schools

• Level 5 Leadership – child focused• First Who then What – dedicated faculty and staff

deciding on what will help students learn• Confront the Brutal Facts – what isn’t working• The Hedgehog Concept – passion for the culture

and teaching, what strategies work for us, positive test results

• Culture of Discipline• Technology Accelerators – how will technology help

students learn, not simply use it to show we can