Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Collins, James C.; Porras, Jerry I.

ISBN 10: 0694514799 ISBN 13: 9780694514793

Publisher: HarperAudio, 1994

Synopsis

"Good to Great is about turning good results into great results; Built to Last is about turning great results into an enduring great company." so write Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in this groundbreaking book that shatters myths, provides new insights, and gives practical guidance to those who would like to build landmark companies that stand the test of time.

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Collins and Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each company in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day, as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large companies. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from other companies?"

Collins and Porras go beyond the incessant barrage of management buzzwords and fads of the day to discover timeless qualities that have consistently distinguished outstanding companies. They also provide inspiration to all executives and entrepreneurs by destroying the false but widely accepted idea that only charismatic visionary leaders can build visionary companies.

Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the twenty-first century and beyond.

About this title

About the Authors

James C. Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies -- how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies. The author of the national bestseller Good to Great, his work has been featured in Fortune, the Economist, USA Today, and Harvard Business Review.

Jerry I. Porras is the Lane Professor of Organizational Behavior and Change, Emeritus, at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business where he served as an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and frequent executive education teacher. He studies ways of aligning companies around their purpose and core values to produce lasting high performance.

Reviews

The authors compare visionary companies whose success continued beyond the tenure of their prominent founders with less visionary competitors. In this case, the medium is a barrier to the message; the authors' colorless voices and passive presentation may challenge the listener's attention span. D.M.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0694514799
• ISBN 13: 9780694514793
• Binding: Audio Cassette
• Number of pages: 2