James C. Collins
Encyclopedia
James C. "Jim" Collins, III (born 1958, Boulder, Colorado
) is an American business consultant, author, and lecturer on the subject of company sustainability and growth. Jim Collins frequently contributes to Harvard Business Review
, Business Week, Fortune
and other magazines, journals, etc. He is also the author of several books: How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
, and Good to Great
.
's Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado
, where he now conducts research and teaches executives from the corporate and social sectors. During that time, Collins has served as a senior executive at CNN International, and also worked with social sector organizations, such as: Johns Hopkins Medical School, the Girl Scouts of the USA
, the Leadership Network of Churches, the American Association of K-12 School Superintendents, and the United States Marine Corps
.
Collins often discusses a "Level 5 leader" in his writings. This refers to the peak of a five-tier hierarchy of leadership
characteristics presented in the books. A Level 5 Leader is someone who embodies a “paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.”
, Joanne Ernst
.
About his wife, he stated, “We’ve been married 20 years and we have 50–50 ownership ... [b]ut she holds all the voting shares.”
Collins re-published an autobiography called Test Pilot (Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1935), written by his grandfather Jimmy Collins, after whom Jim Collins is named. Jimmy Collins was the chief test pilot for the Grumman military aircraft company during the 1930s, and Clark Gable
portrayed him in the movie version of his book. Jimmy Collins died in a crash while testing the F3 biplane
, having predicted and described his death before it.
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
) is an American business consultant, author, and lecturer on the subject of company sustainability and growth. Jim Collins frequently contributes to Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...
, Business Week, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
and other magazines, journals, etc. He is also the author of several books: How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies is a book written by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras on October 26, 1994. The book outlines the results of a six-year research project into what makes enduring great companies...
, and Good to Great
Good to Great
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't is a 2001 management book by James C. Collins that aims to describe how companies transition from being average companies to great companies and how companies can fail to make the transition...
.
Career
Collins began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, where he now conducts research and teaches executives from the corporate and social sectors. During that time, Collins has served as a senior executive at CNN International, and also worked with social sector organizations, such as: Johns Hopkins Medical School, the Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
, the Leadership Network of Churches, the American Association of K-12 School Superintendents, and the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
Writings
Jim has authored or co-authored five books based on his research, including the classic Built to Last, a fixture on the Business Week best-seller list for more than six years, and has been translated into 25 languages. The most recent book is How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In. Good to Great, his previous book, is "about the factors common to those few companies ... to sustain remarkable success for a substantial period," attained long-running positions on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Business Week best-seller lists, sold 2.5 million hardcover copies since publication, and has been translated into 32 languages.Collins often discusses a "Level 5 leader" in his writings. This refers to the peak of a five-tier hierarchy of leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
characteristics presented in the books. A Level 5 Leader is someone who embodies a “paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.”
Books
- 1994: Built to LastBuilt to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary CompaniesBuilt to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies is a book written by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras on October 26, 1994. The book outlines the results of a six-year research project into what makes enduring great companies...
by James C. Collins and Jerry I. PorrasJerry I. PorrasJerry I. Porras is a professor at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Lane Professor Emeritus of Organizational Behavior and Change....
(Paperback, Hardcover, CD)
- 1995: Beyond Entrepreneurship: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company by James C. Collins and William C. Lazier (Paperback & Hardcover)
- 2001: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … And Others Don’tGood to GreatGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't is a 2001 management book by James C. Collins that aims to describe how companies transition from being average companies to great companies and how companies can fail to make the transition...
by James C. Collins (Hardcover, CD).
- 2005: Good to Great and the Social Sectors by James C. Collins (Paperback)
- 2009: How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by James C. Collins
- 2011: Great By Choice by James C. Collins and Morten T. Hansen
Family
Jim Collins is married to former triathlete and 1985 Ironman winnerIronman World Championship
The Ironman World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. It is owned and organised by the World Triathlon Corporation and is currently sponsored by Ford...
, Joanne Ernst
Joanne Ernst
Joanne Ernst is an American former triathlete who won the 1985 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon.- Results :-Family:Joanne Ernst is married to management consultant and writer Jim Collins.- Notes :...
.
About his wife, he stated, “We’ve been married 20 years and we have 50–50 ownership ... [b]ut she holds all the voting shares.”
Collins re-published an autobiography called Test Pilot (Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1935), written by his grandfather Jimmy Collins, after whom Jim Collins is named. Jimmy Collins was the chief test pilot for the Grumman military aircraft company during the 1930s, and Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
portrayed him in the movie version of his book. Jimmy Collins died in a crash while testing the F3 biplane
Grumman F3F
|-Popular culture:The F3F was featured as an "experimental fighter" in Warner Bros's Wings of the Navy .The F3F-2 was featured in the 1940 film Flight Command, starring Robert Taylor as a pilot whose work developing instrument landing systems helps his lost squadron return to NAS North...
, having predicted and described his death before it.