April 5, 2006
Having written a famous book, the author was desirous of greater, more precise knowledge about corporate success. Jim Collins undertook such a research for five years with 25 team members among hundreds of companies. The result was a more famous book which sold two million copies. He is the number one management expert today. His findings are as follows.
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Great companies are famous, but they are really not great.
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Greatness lies in sustained success for a long period.
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They are less known and their CEOs are less well known.
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Their CEOs are humble and determined.
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One dollar invested in famous companies in 1965 will become 58 dollars
in 2000 while one dollar in these really great companies will be $471 in 2000.
This is the secret of accomplishment, not only true to companies
but to any organisation, even family and personally. In his book he speaks of
over 100 valid findings. Most of them are striking if not startling. His book
has become so famous in the last four years that it can be purchased in Indian
bookstores. He has called it Good to Great. The market values him so
such that he is paid $150,000 for a single performance. Can we look at it from
the Indian Spiritual point of view? Will it be of any relevance in our daily
life?
Jim Collins has arrived at great truths of accomplishment and
spelt them out in his book. He has not started with any theory or hypothesis
but arrived at his conclusions from data – empirical findings are of enormous
value for the practical mind of the West. A few things are worth considering.
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To avail of the earlier experience is common sense and rational.
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To refuse to listen to the wisdom of the world is petulant
superstition.
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No superstructure can ever be built without the foundation of the past.
Even when you disregard it, subconsciously you will be building on it.
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To avail of the past here is to receive from above which alone is real
receptivity. It is time saving.
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One has to receive in the Mind to receive from above. Empirical finding
instructs the mind in the body.
Indian wisdom sees the full truth in Jim's findings but can
essentially improve upon it. Jim's findings, though essential and great, are
incomplete. Each one of Jim's 100 findings requires a full explanation of a few
pages. While Jim has valid findings, nowhere does he explain why they are valid
or how. To explain how is to validate it theoretically. To explain why is to
offer its rationale. Jim finds them and states them as empirical facts. Without
explaining the why or how, it may be implicitly followed with benefit but it
will be a kind of superstition, maybe psychological superstition. One cannot
rationally follow it. Of the hundred ideas, let me illustrate what I say in one
which says such CEOs look for the reason inside when things go wrong and look
outside when work is accomplished.
In the Upanishads they said Sarvam Brahman. Sri Aurobindo
said in the Supermind each is in all and all is in each. Therefore in Supermind
there is no failure; success is everlasting. The successful CEOs out of their
long experience and personal temperament have arrived at this. When something
succeeds, they do not appropriate it to their ego. They look for other
causes outside. When something goes wrong, instead of apportioning blame on
others, they look for the cause inside. This is the principle that sees the
whole world inside. Should you be desirous of knowing how this is true, you
must be willing to learn philosophy. America has excelled in fashioning a
practical organisation of production from field experience. Indian philosophy
knew it in its knowledge of the Spirit discovered long ago. That knowledge
easily lends itself to be converted into an organisation. Doing so, we arrive
at such an organisation from theory for which reason it is far more valid and
admits of no failure.
We see people are of several types.
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Those who discover new strategies for accomplishment.
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Those who can follow strategies discovered by others.
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Those who can imitate only a living example.
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Those who must be instructed before they act.
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There are others who cannot take instruction but need training.
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Others must be trained by compulsion.
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Finally there are those who will not move till the whole world has
become successful and they are compelled to follow it.
Finding yourself at some point, you can make a beginning. These
are principles best suited to a company. Next best is the family. When no one
will listen to you in the family, you can do it yourself in your life and meet
with a phenomenal success that lasts forever. If anything, it will further
expand. Presently Indian wisdom is followed unconsciously. We witness it in the
lives of some political leaders and other men of extraordinary talents. In them
we find some common traits.
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They are humble because they occupy a humiliating situation.
It is better to
be humble because we choose humility.
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They have often risked their all compelled by inescapable compelling
circumstances.
Out of a higher
wisdom we must choose to risk like them willingly and happily.
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They refuse to gloat over their success often as the environment will
not permit them that luxury. Even when the circumstances permit it, we must
refuse to avail of it.
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They never rely on technology as they have seen technology failing.
Technology is
inanimate. Man is live. Rely on him.
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Nor should one rely on the market. Know it is our faith that creates
the market.
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There is no exclusive self-reliance. A company is not driven by
authority. It is upheld by the interest and enthusiasm of the many executives.
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Their knowledge of accomplishment is subconscious. It is a conscious
knowledge that the Individual alone accomplishes when he effaces the ego.