It explains well why some organisations fail to achieve greatness. It stresses upon making a conscious choice and having discipline to achieve greatness. This book introduced me to "Stockdale Paradox"

Wonderful companion to Good to Great to help those in human services and non-profits apply it's lessons to their work.

This book essentially is selection bias at its finest. Lots of things have been disproven / changed since then, but hell it’s a fun book for the fuck of it.

This was a fabulous little monograph that explains the "Good to Great" principles applied in the social sectors. "Our work is not fundamentally about business; it is about what separates great from good." We need to define "great" and measure it and collect evidence in some way, have good leadership and get things done in a diffuse power structure, get the right people on the bus, rethink the economic engine, and build momentum for the brand. A part of this is considering:
1. What are you deeply passionate about?
2. What can you be best in the world at?
3. What drives your resource engine?

A few of my other favorite quotes include:
"Greatness is an inherently dynamic process, not an end point. The moment you think of yourself as great, your slide toward mediocrity will have already begun."
"True leadership only exists if people follow when they have the freedom not to."
"What can you do today to create a pocket of greatness, despite the brutal facts of your environment?"
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline."

Let's go out and be great! :)