It’s Official: Good has Killed Off Great

Have you read Jim Collins' book, Good to Great (the pre-qual to Built to Last, even though it was written after)? In it Jim suggests that the fact that we settle for Good in society today, it has killed off the notion of striving for Great.

With good schools, governments, churches, businesses, hospitals etc., comes comfort. We settle for good because it isn’t bad. And in that, we think that great is something reserved for the few, so we don’t even bother.

What’s your attitude to where things are for you in life right now?

Are things good?

Are things great?

Are things bad?

Greatness comes from the choice to not settle for good. And good is the absence of bad.

What if we’re in a bad place right now?

If we find that things are not good (bad) then we must find ways and people to help us move out of those situations. Often I’ve found myself in a bad place, knowing that I can make a choice and I can seek help. For some, it may be that it’s not possible to move out of that bad place. Health, finances, relationships or circumstances may feel impossible to change and outside of your control.

I don’t believe in the word IMPOSSIBLE.

I don’t say this to belittle your situation if things are not good at the moment, I say this to build courage and faith. There is someone out there that can help. Often it's a case of lifting your head out of your circumstance and making the decision to start looking. You may need to go through numbers of people to find the one person that can help, or the product/service that can solve the challenges you face.

There have been some very dark times in my life, personally, with my faith and in business. Some felt insurmountable, but I’m here. I’m through them. And in looking back, it’s those people around me that have helped me through.

Why is Good not Good Enough?

I’m not going to get all Bible-bashy here, but my faith tells me that God want’s us to live a life where our needs are met, and that he will provide within His will. Understanding His will sometimes is very hard, but having faith in knowing He has our best interest at heart is where I stand often.

Living in that space is the good.

But if God is a perfect God and a God of the highest standards, I feel we need to press on and look for the Great.

If we send our children to a Good school, what would their grades be like if they went to a Great school?

If our business was ticking along nicely and we could say that we have a Good business. Is that stopping us from seeing how Great our business could be and the increased difference it could make to our customers lives if we just stepped up a gear?

Great is a Calling and a Choice.

Understanding how to reach for greatness is key. If you haven’t read it you must, Good to Great by Jim Collins. In future daily posts, I’ll share more of what he talks about in his book, however, get your copy over on Amazon now!

Great is something we are all called to. It starts with you and me choosing to not settle for Good. And to move away from Bad.

Here’s my challenge for you today on reading this…

What today, can you choose to put just a little more into to do a Great job or have a Great impact on someone’s life, rather than just Good? It starts with just one action, your decision to act in a Great way.