James C. Collins
| Jim C. Collins, III | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1958 [1] Boulder, Colorado, United States |
| Occupation | Management consultant and writer |
| Spouse | Joanne Ernst |
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: Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In and "Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All".
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[edit] Career
Collins began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford University'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.
[edit] 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 characteristics presented in the books. A Level 5 Leader is someone who embodies a “paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.”
[edit] Books
- 1994: Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras (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’t 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
[edit] Family
Jim Collins is married to former triathlete and 1985 Ironman winner, Joanne Ernst.[2]
About his wife, he stated, “We’ve been married 20 years and we have 50–50 ownership ... but 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.
[edit] References
- ^ Catalyst Together, DVD #1 of Catalyst Conference, 2008
- ^ Adam Bryant (May 23, 2009). "For This Guru, No Question Is Too Big". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/business/24collins.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
