Strategic Alliances: Three Ways to Make Them Work

Developing the Right Organization

In the best-selling book Good to Great, Jim Collins introduces the idea of “First Who… Then What.” Rather than obsessing over crafting the perfect vision or strategy statement, great companies focus on getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats, and getting the wrong people off the bus. Only then do they figure out where to drive it.

It turns out that having the right people on board, and the right leader at the wheel, scored higher than any measure, including compensation, in helping companies make the leap from good to great. Forget the old adage “People are your most important asset.” Instead, the right people are your most important asset. This is a team-based approach, as opposed ...