Collins’: Maintain Flywheels

We are almost to the end of our 8-part series on Jim Collins principles of Good-to-Great

I know that we cannot prioritize which of the principles that Jim Collins discovered in his good-to-great research. They all seem very important: who first…then what…, rinsing your cottage cheese, the Hedgehog Concept, or any of the others. Yet, my top votes would go to the Hedgehog Concept and todays topic: Flywheels or Doom Loops. I see the benefits created when organizations or individuals expend the effort to identify their Hedgehog Concept. The biggest deterrent I’ve seen to organizations becoming great, however, remains the institutionalization of doom loops.

Flywheels Maintain the Momentum Towards Greatness

Collins uses the metaphor of a giant flywheel used in machinery to describe this concept. I didn’t grow up in a manufacturing environment. I don’t think most of my readers did either.  I will use a different picture to describe the same concept. I still refer to it as the flywheel, however.

Do you remember the merry go rounds on playgrounds (before OSHA deemed they were too dangerous). A bunch of kids would stand or sit on the merry go round. One child would run pushing one of the bars so the merry go round would turn. The runner used a lot of energy at first to overcome the inertia and weight of all the kids. Eventually, however, the merry go round would begin to turn easier. It created a momentum of its own. Finally, the runner could just stand at the side and slap on of the bars to keep the whole thing turning fast. It was a great ride.

Great organizations use the same social physics. They recognize that moving an organization to greatness requires an huge expenditure in financial and social energy. Aligning all of the following efforts does not happen easily:

• Getting the right people on the right seats in the bus
• Confronting the brutal facts,yet never losing faith
• Recognizing and implementing your Hedgehog Concept
• Establishing a culture of discipline that rinses its cottage cheese

Once in place, however, they create a momentum of their own. Leaders spend less time maintaining great organizations than they do creating them—if they allow the flywheel to perform. Unfortunately, too many leaders allow ego and insecurity to stifle the momentum and create Doom Loops instead.

The same can be said for personal careers. If you take the time to confront the brutal facts, find your personal Hedgehog Concept, establish your personal discipline, and get in the right seat on the right bus; then, you can maintain your personal flywheel. You will get the biggest raises, the best promotions, and the right assignments. Your satisfaction will increase. Your momentum will carry you forward with much less effort. That is the beauty of flywheels whether personal or organizational.

Discussing Flywheels & Doom Loops created a very long post. So, join me Monday when we explore the waste of Doom Loops