Good to Great
proposedAlso known as: Hedgehog Concept · Level 5 Leadership · Flywheel · First Who Then What
Disciplined people, thought, and action — not heroics — convert good companies into enduring great ones.
From a matched-pair study, identifies traits of companies that made durable leaps: humble-but-willful Level 5 leaders, getting the right people first, confronting brutal facts, the Hedgehog Concept (the intersection of passion, best-in-the-world, and economic engine), and relentless flywheel momentum.
Core concepts
Level 5 LeadershipFirst Who Then WhatHedgehog ConceptFlywheelStockdale Paradox
Best when
- Professionalizing leadership as the founder steps back
- Building momentum after a rough patch
Watch-outs
- Survivorship-bias critiques; several exemplars later faltered