Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

James C. Collins (Author), Jerry I. Porras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 1994

Groundbreaking research intothe development of America's most enduring and successful corporations thatshatters myths, provides new insights, and gives practical guidance forcompanies that would like to follow in their footsteps.

Jim Collins and Jerry Porrass', faculty at Stanford'sGraduate School of Business, have discovered what makes visionary companies- ones that beat their competitors decade after decade, withstand the vagariesof the marketplace, make a significant impact on the world, and have outperformedthe stock market by 15 times since 1926.

They conclude that a visionary company is not contingent on one brilliantCEO, but on elements that transcend any individual leader. Companies suchas 3M, Walt Disney, Motorola, Merck, and General Electric share lastingcharacteristics that distinguish them from less visionary companies, suchas: preserving a fixed core ideology, yet having the ability to adapt; goingbeyond culture to embrace "cultism"; creating what the authorscall BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals); mimicking the biological evolutionof the species; and having a strong sense of purpose beyond making money.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Built to Last became an instant business classic. This audio abridgement is read by the authors, who alternate chapters. Collins is a bit breathlessly enthusiastic, but clear and interesting; Porras, unfortunately, is poorly inflected and wooden. They set out to determine what's special about "visionary" companies--the Disneys, Wal-Marts, and Mercks, companies at the very top of their game that have demonstrated longevity and great brand image. The authors compare 18 "visionary" picks to a control group of "successful-but-second-rank" companies. Thus Disney is compared to Columbia Pictures, Ford to GM, and so on.

A central myth, according to the authors, is that visionary companies start with a great product and are pushed into the future by charismatic leaders. Usually false, Collins and Porras find. Much more important, and a much more telling line of demarcation between a wild success like 3M and an also-ran like Norton, is flexibility. 3M had no master plan, little structure, and no prima donnas. Instead it had an atmosphere in which bright people were not afraid to "try a lot of stuff and keep what works."

If you listen to this audiocassette on your daily commute, you may discover whether you are headed to a "visionary" place of work--and, if so, whether you are the kind of employee who fits your employer's vision. (Running time: two hours, two cassettes) --Richard Farr

From Library Journal

What makes a visionary company? This book, written by a team from Stanford's Graduate School of Business, compares what the authors have identified as "visionary" companies with selected companies in the same industry. The authors juxtapose Disney and Columbia Pictures, Ford and General Motors, Motorola and Zenith, and Hewlett-Packard and Texas Instruments, to name a few. The visionary companies, the authors found out, had a number of common characteristics; for instance, almost all had some type of core ideology that guided the company in times of upheaval and served as a constant bench mark. Not all the visionary companies were founded by visionary leaders, however. On the whole, this is an intriguing book that occasionally provides rare and interesting glimpses into the inner workings and philosophical foundations of successful businesses. Recommended for all libraries.
Randy L. Abbott, Univ. of Evansville Lib., Ind.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: HarperAudio; Abridged edition (October 4, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0694514799
• ISBN-13: 978-0694514793
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,653,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Books on Cassette > Business > Management

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

184 of 200 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to build it to last, March 15, 2002

By 

Martin Schray (West Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Hardcover)

Built To Last was an extremely thought provoking and eye opening read. Built To Last studies some of the most successful (called the leading companies) and the following companies (non-leaders in an industry). The research for this book produced surprising results for the authors (and the reader). The authors found the there were at least twelve commonly held businesses beliefs that their research refuted. In essence these dearly held business beliefs were myths.

Here is a look at each of the twelve myths and a sound byte describing each:

1. It takes a great idea to start a company Few visionary companies started with a great idea. Many companies started without any specific ideas (HP and Sony) and others were outright failures (3M). In fact a great idea may lead to road of not being able to adapt.

2. Visionary companies require great and charismatic visionary leaders A charismatic leader in not required and, in fact, can be detrimental to a company's long-term prospects.

3. The most successful companies exist first and foremost to maximize profits Not true. Profit counts, but is usually not at the top of the list.

4. Visionary companies share a common subset of "correct" core values They all have core values, but each is unique to a company and it's culture.

5. The only constant is change The core values can and often do last more then 100 years.

6. Blue-chip companies play it safe They take significant bet the company risks.

7. Visionary companies are great places to work, for everyone These companies are only great places to work if you fit the vision and culture.

8. Highly successful companies make some of their best moves by brilliant and complex strategic planning. They actually try a bunch of stuff and keep what works.

9. Companies should hire outside CEOs to stimulate fundamental change Most have had their change agents come from within the system.

10. The most successful companies focus primarily on beating the competition. They focus on beating themselves.

11. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Decisions don't have to either or, but can be boths.

12. Companies become visionary primarily through "vision statements". Vision is not a statement it is the way you do business.

I would recommend this book to anyone engaged in developing and running a business at any level. If you want to design, build and run a lasting enterprise this book has some ideas and insights worth exploring.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Writing with Sketchy Conclusions, April 27, 2005

By 

Rich Ball (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Built to Last CD (Audio CD)

I don't think a lot of people realize that Built to Last was published in 1994. It is only with the skyrocket popularity of Good to Great (published in 2001, but a bestseller in 2005) that Built to Last has re-graced bookshelves at all. The technical aspects of the writing are wonderful, weaving convincing arguments the way a high school lyricist weaves urban tales for his friends. And with the same result: the study doesn't hold up, especially not with the 11 years of hindsight we have on it. For starters, much of the research is on consistent growth and performance of specific companies against the general stock market, from 1926 to 1990. While the author correctly points out that this era covers a fantastic amount of change, he wrongfully dismisses that point, continuing to build his thesis on the shaky foundation that "what worked through the 1950's and 1960's is bound to work today". "Built to Last" is an interesting business history, but a terrible roadmap for success.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the Bible of Business Success, but a great starting point..., March 22, 2009

By 

I. Jaime "uthooked88" (Brownsville, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Hardcover)

Reading Built to Last will not guarantee that your company becomes a Fortune 500 company, nor will it ensure that you rise to the Executive Board of your company. It will, however, provide you with key insights into the corporate world and why some companies MAY fail or succeed. It is important to realize that Built to Last is a review of past behavior of companies, with an explanation of observed results of the study. Therefore, I do not believe that it is the Business Bible that some proclaim it to be, but it is a very well written book with great insights into the operation of Corporations.

For example, at the end of every chapter, the authors provide a message for CEO's, Managers and Entrepreneurs. This section will summarize the key points of each chapter in a practical manner. Also, there is more than sufficient data and examples to support the main points in the book, which gives the reader confidence in employing the methods in their jobs and companies.

I am unable to rate this book as 5 stars, because I truly believe that luck and other invisible forces play a role in the success or failure of all companies. While the principles that Collins and Porras have outlined are insightful and may explain a large part of why companies succeed over long periods of time, it leaves much unexplained. For example, many companies named in the book went on to fail and eventually went out of business. While it may be convenient to attribute these companies' mishaps to a strategic failure in following the principles laid out in Built to Last, it is impossible to not correlate at least part of their failure to market forces and other conditions outside of anyone's control.

Regardless, Built to Last is a book that is a must own for all people interested in Business or any other organization that they wish to see succeed over extended periods of time.