Back to Our Book Club: Let’s Talk Good to Great, Chapter 3
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It’s been a little while since our last check-in, but we’re excited to dive back into our book club of sorts! Today, we’re focusing on Chapter 3 of Good to Great by Jim Collins — a chapter that introduces one of the most influential ideas in the entire book: “First Who… Then What.”
The principle is simple but powerful — great leaders begin by getting the right people on the bus before deciding where to drive it. As someone who works in HR, this philosophy deeply resonates with me. Building the right team isn’t just important; it’s foundational to any company’s success. (We’ll dive deeper into how to find and hire the right people in an upcoming post — stay tuned!)
But today, I want to highlight a specific line in Chapter 3 that often gets overlooked:
“The only way to deliver to the people who are achieving is to not burden them with the people who are not achieving.”
This reminded me of a quote that circulates often in leadership and HR circles:
"Nothing will kill a great employee faster than tolerating a bad one."
And it’s true.
Why would a high-performing team member continue giving A+ effort if others are consistently delivering B- work — and facing no accountability for it? Over time, that imbalance takes a toll. Morale dips. Engagement suffers. And eventually, even your best people start to disengage. High standards are contagious, but unfortunately, so is complacency.
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve likely seen this dynamic firsthand. That’s why having the right people on your team — and holding everyone to the same standard of excellence — is so critical.
If you're not sure where to start when it comes to building a strong, aligned team, Talent Coaching and Consulting is here to help. Right now, we’re offering a Custom Job Description Creation Service designed to help you attract the right candidates from the start.
Thanks for reading along with us! We’ll be back next week with a list of Chapter 3 discussion questions to help keep the conversation going — whether in your book club, leadership team, or personal development journey.