By: David G. Brown, President and CEO
It’s no secret around the office that, for quite some time, I’ve wanted to book Jim Collins to deliver the keynote at one of our Annual Meetings. So, it was a special thrill for me when we sealed the deal for this year’s gathering on Jan. 31.
Jim is the author of some of the best business books of all time, and he writes about leadership models from a personal point of view that I find very compelling. With his #1 bestseller Good to Great, he’s inspired thousands (including me) to emulate the attributes of a “level five leader.” These leaders build and nurture successful teams by selecting the best people and putting them in situations where they can be the most successful. In other words, level five leaders put the right people on the right seat on the bus.
Jim has taken his message and developed it to meet today’s business issues, particularly the challenges and benefits that teams derive from multi-generational team members. We all want to know how to engage our people most effectively. I am looking forward to his wisdom on this issue – and to being challenged by the success stories of other companies and leaders. What better way to improve than to hear how others have responded to the same issues we face every day?
Jim also speaks about developing and maintaining momentum through his discussion of the Flywheel concept. This notion of working hard to get a project going – and then continuing to nurture the project to keep it going – is at the core of many of our efforts to effect change in our community.
In short, Jim has shown how successful leaders and teams make companies (and communities) successful. This is a message that all business leaders should hear. I look forward to hearing it right there with you.