James C. Collins

James C. "Jim" Collins ( born January 25, 1958 in Aurora, Colorado) is an American management expert.

Life

Jim Collins studied mathematics at Stanford University. In his studies he hung on an MBA Nachdiplomlehrgang, followed by 18 months of consultant with McKinsey. He then worked as a product manager for Hewlett -Packard.

From 1988 to 1995 Jim Collins has been a professor of Entrepreneurship at Stanford University, where he was elected by the students to the "outstanding teacher". However, he was in conflict with the conditions of the university. He therefore in 1995 in Boulder ( Colorado) founded in his former elementary school building a center for management research, which he successfully managed until today.

Thus, from the professor of entrepreneurship a living founding professor. Today he is active in various research projects, the results were repeatedly published in book form. From two of his studies the books resulted Always Successful ( English: Built to Last ) and The Good to Great ( English: Good to great ), acquired the worldwide bestseller status. Therefore, he is now counted in the United States of the most important thinkers of the corporate world. His knowledge and experience, he is beyond further in management seminars.

Privately located Collins interested in excellence: The internationally renowned management expert conquers mountains in his spare time. To be able to practice regularly, he has a climbing wall in his garden. Already during his studies founded Collins a school for climbers to finance his studies can.

Theories

Jim Collins is known throughout the world for the following management principles and findings.

In his first book Built to Last Collins describes how a great company can maintain its performance over the years. In the second book Good to great principles were developed, which could make a good company a great.

• The principle of "first who, then what " describes that in a company first a functioning, strong team (who ) must be built with the right people before this team to the strategy (What ) care.

• He found that all successful companies had with " Level 5 leadership " in the top positions at the start of a new phase Manager. "Level 5 " symbolizes the highest of five levels for the classification of management skills. Characteristic of a level -5 Manager are: humility, determination, restraint, hardness and no airs and graces.

• The "hedgehog " principle consists of three overlapping circles / questions that need to be taken into account, according to Collins and weighted similarly strong. The answers to the questions and the implementation of the concept was to grant the company a long-term success. A suitable range for a company should inspire your employees, there should be a reasonable prospect that the company is is the best, and the area should offer the prospect of good profits.

• The way to the top you can do only if you focus on the target; it has to " face up to reality ." That is, decisions should be based on experience, facts and figures.

• The " corporate vision " is that one holds on to the values ​​in the company, but the strategies and objectives can remain flexible.

• The five-step " way to shame ": The first phase is born from the success of arrogance, then comes the undisciplined pursuit of more, and the denial of risk and danger. The fourth phase is the quest for redemption and surrender comes last in the irrelevance and death. For the first time the five-step path to shame all the rage, as in January 2010, the car manufacturer Toyota was massive construction and manufacturing defects had to admit in several series. The grandson of the company founder had the management staff criticized vehemently months before the discovery of the defects in a sensational speech and pointed out that Toyota just before the fourth stage located on the " road to shame ."

Works

• Jim Collins, William C. Lazier: Beyond Entrepreneurship. Turning Your Business into at Enduring Great Company Englewood Cliffs. Prentice Hall PR, Paramus, NJ 1992, ISBN 0-13-381526-9.
• Jim Collins, William C. Lazier: Managing the Small to Mid- Sized Company. Concepts and Cases Homewood. Irwin Professional Publishing, Chicago, 1995, ISBN 0-256-14280-7.
• Jim Collins: How to find the best. The seven management principles for long-term business success. dtv, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-423-34039-8. (Campus, Frankfurt am Main 2011, ISBN 978-3-593-38648-5 )
• Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras: always successful. The strategies of top companies. dtv, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-423-34209-9.
• Jim Collins: How the mighty falling. And why some companies never give in. Random House Business Books, London 2009, ISBN 978-1-84794-042-1.