Are Your Really Ready for the Recovery?
By Bob Moore, CMC, The Effectiveness Coach®

Word Count: 437 Words
Reading Time: About 3 Minutes

As the economy continues on the plateau with some indications that the decline is over, I wonder how ready we are for the recovery.  In Jim Collins' newest book, How the Mighty Fall, he confronts the questions we need to answer to determine the reasons for the decline in the first place. Remember, some companies are still growing profitably while others may not survive.

Some questions Collins attempts to answer include: How do the mighty fall?  Can decline be detected early and avoided? How can companies reverse the course?  His four years of research uncovered five step­wise stages of decline which he asserts, by understanding, leaders can substantially reduce their chances of falling all the way to the bottom.

Stage 1:  Hubris Born of Success
Stage 2:  Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Stage 3:  Denial of Risk and Peril
Stage 4:  Grasping for Salvation
Stage 5:  Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death

I think the most value of his book is the focus on the question, "Is There a Way Out?" which includes principles from his book, Good to Great as a solution to the first three stages. which involves Level 5 Leadership (a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will) and First Who, Then What:  make sure the right people are on the bus, the wrong people are off the bus, and the right people in the key seats before figuring out where to drive the bus.

Stage 2:  Disciplined Thought which requires Confronting the Brutal Facts and The Stockdale Paradox.  Retain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.  Follow The Hedgehog Concept illustrated by three intersecting circles: what you can be best in the world at, what you are deeply passionate about, and what best drives your economic or resource engine.

Stage 1:  Disciplined People

Stage 3:  Disciplined Action by operating with freedom within a framework of responsibilities.  People do not have jobs; they have responsibilities. Apply The Flywheel Principle by relentlessly pushing "a giant heavy flywheel," turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthrough.

Notice the word "Discipline" in each of these solutions along with the notion of "responsibility" and "accountability" which may be the root after all.  What are the levels of discipline, responsibility and accountability within the leaders and managers you are depending on to help lead the way to recovery and ultimately, greatness, for your enterprise?  Although there are mixed reviews, I recommend the book for all business thought leaders. Click Here to Order from Amazon.

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