Jim Collins, professional speaker

If you weren’t able to be there last week at the Fortune Leadership conference in Atlanta, you really missed a treat.

Jim Collins did another fabulous and inspiring job as the keynote speaker on Tuesday morning.  This is the second time I’ve heard him “live” and I continue to be impressed with:

  • his insights about the role of leaders in building great businesses,
  • his pointed and thought-provoking commentary on companies who don’t take the time to “prepare for the next storm”
  • his genuine commitment to helping create the next generation of great businesses.

So for those of you who weren’t there, here’s my “baker’s dozen” of quotable quotes and questions to stir your thinking and inspire YOU…

  1. The MOST important executive skill is the ability to pick the right people, put them in the right seats and hang on to them.
  2. The “X Factor” of great leadership is humility combined with ferocious will and determination.
  3. What is your “20 Mile” march?
  4. The only mistakes you can learn from are the ones you survive. It’s what you do before the storm that matters.
  5. What decisions will you make today to ensure that you will hit your marks next year? And the next year? And the next year?  And the next?
  6. Creativity is our natural state as human beings. Discipline is not.
  7. The signature of mediocrity is “chronic” inconsistency.
  8. How long could you go without any revenue?
  9. What guerilla are you currently ignoring that could kill your company?
  10. What do you do with the “luck” you get?
  11. “WHO” luck is the most important kind of luck.
  12. What’s your distinctive impact? If your company disappeared, who would miss you and why?
  13. If you, as the CEO, have to be there…it’s not a Great Company.

Let me know your favorite!

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