
Great by Choice
Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.52
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jim Collins
About this listen
The New Question.
Ten years after the worldwide best seller Good to Great, Jim Collins returns with another ground-breaking work, this time to ask: Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not? Based on nine years of research, buttressed by rigorous analysis and infused with engaging stories, Collins and his colleague, Morten Hansen, enumerate the principles for building a truly great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, and fast-moving times.
The New Study.
Great by Choice distinguishes itself from Collins's prior work by its focus not just on performance, but also on the type of unstable environments faced by leaders today. With a team of more than 20 researchers, Collins and Hansen studied companies that rose to greatness - beating their industry indexes by a minimum of 10 times over 15 years - in environments characterized by big forces and rapid shifts that leaders could not predict or control. The research team then contrasted these "10X companies" to a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to achieve greatness in similarly extreme environments.
The New Findings.
The study results were full of provocative surprises. Such as:
- The best leaders were not more risk taking, more visionary, and more creative than the comparisons; they were more disciplined, more empirical, and more paranoid.
- Innovation by itself turns out not to be the trump card in a chaotic and uncertain world; more important is the ability to scale innovation, to blend creativity with discipline.
- Following the belief that leading in a "fast world" always requires "fast decisions" and "fast action" is a good way to get killed.
- The great companies changed less in reaction to a radically changing world than the comparison companies.
The authors challenge conventional wisdom with thought-provoking, sticky, and supremely practical concepts. They include 10Xers; the 20 Mile March; Fire Bullets then Cannonballs; Leading above the Death Line; Zoom Out, Then Zoom In; and the SMaC Recipe. Finally, in the last chapter, Collins and Hansen present their most provocative and original analysis: defining, quantifying, and studying the role of luck.
The great companies and the leaders who built them were not luckier than the comparisons, but they did get a higher Return on Luck. This book is classic Collins: contrarian, data driven, and uplifting. He and Hansen show convincingly that, even in a chaotic and uncertain world, greatness happens by choice, not by chance.
©2011 Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers, USListeners also enjoyed...
-
How the Mighty Fall
- And Why Some Companies Never Give In
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decline can be avoided. Decline can be detected. Decline can be reversed. Amidst the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? How far can a company fall before the path toward doom becomes inevitable and unshakable? How can companies reverse course?
-
-
This is not Shakespeare
- By Amygay111 on 05-27-10
By: Jim Collins
-
Built to Last
- Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Good to Great, Book 2)
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.
-
-
Worst audio book doesn’t even read the book
- By Bob on 07-20-20
By: Jim Collins
-
Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Built To Last, the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
-
-
Good info, over-the-top narration
- By Anaxamaxan on 08-31-10
By: Jim Collins
-
BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0)
- Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company
- By: Jim Collins, William Lazier
- Narrated by: Jim Collins, Paul Michael
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
BE 2.0 is a new and improved version of the book that Jim Collins and Bill Lazier wrote years ago. In BE 2.0, Jim Collins honors his mentor, Bill Lazier, who passed away in 2005, and reexamines the original text of Beyond Entrepreneurship with his 2020 perspective. The book includes the original text of Beyond Entrepreneurship, as well as four new chapters and 15 new essays. BE 2.0 pulls together the key concepts across Collins' 30 years of research into one integrated framework called The Map.
-
-
Very very very good
- By Amazon Customer on 05-15-22
By: Jim Collins, and others
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Hidden Potential
- The Science of Achieving Greater Things
- By: Adam Grant
- Narrated by: Adam Grant, Maurice Ashley, R. A. Dickey, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students in school, natural athletes in sports, and child prodigies in music. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door.
-
-
Nope
- By Anna OConnor-McClure on 10-27-23
By: Adam Grant
-
How the Mighty Fall
- And Why Some Companies Never Give In
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Decline can be avoided. Decline can be detected. Decline can be reversed. Amidst the desolate landscape of fallen great companies, Jim Collins began to wonder: How do the mighty fall? Can decline be detected early and avoided? How far can a company fall before the path toward doom becomes inevitable and unshakable? How can companies reverse course?
-
-
This is not Shakespeare
- By Amygay111 on 05-27-10
By: Jim Collins
-
Built to Last
- Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Good to Great, Book 2)
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.
-
-
Worst audio book doesn’t even read the book
- By Bob on 07-20-20
By: Jim Collins
-
Good to Great
- Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Built To Last, the defining management study of the 90s, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the very beginning. But what about companies that are not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness?
-
-
Good info, over-the-top narration
- By Anaxamaxan on 08-31-10
By: Jim Collins
-
BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0)
- Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company
- By: Jim Collins, William Lazier
- Narrated by: Jim Collins, Paul Michael
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
BE 2.0 is a new and improved version of the book that Jim Collins and Bill Lazier wrote years ago. In BE 2.0, Jim Collins honors his mentor, Bill Lazier, who passed away in 2005, and reexamines the original text of Beyond Entrepreneurship with his 2020 perspective. The book includes the original text of Beyond Entrepreneurship, as well as four new chapters and 15 new essays. BE 2.0 pulls together the key concepts across Collins' 30 years of research into one integrated framework called The Map.
-
-
Very very very good
- By Amazon Customer on 05-15-22
By: Jim Collins, and others
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Hidden Potential
- The Science of Achieving Greater Things
- By: Adam Grant
- Narrated by: Adam Grant, Maurice Ashley, R. A. Dickey, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students in school, natural athletes in sports, and child prodigies in music. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door.
-
-
Nope
- By Anna OConnor-McClure on 10-27-23
By: Adam Grant
-
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- 30th Anniversary Edition
- By: Sean Covey, Jim Collins - foreword, Stephen R. Covey
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Covey, Sean Covey
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has captivated people for nearly three decades. It has transformed the lives of presidents and CEOs, educators, and parents - millions of people of all ages and occupations. Now, this 30th anniversary edition of the timeless classic commemorates the wisdom of the seven habits with modern additions from Sean Covey.
-
-
Even Better!
- By Tim Torres on 06-16-20
By: Sean Covey, and others
-
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
- A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick Lencioni
- Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In keeping with the parable style, Patrick Lencioni begins by telling the fable of a woman who, as CEO of a struggling Silicon Valley firm, took control of a dysfunctional executive committee and helped its members succeed as a team. Story time over, Lencioni offers explicit instructions for overcoming the human behavioral tendencies that he says corrupt teams. Succinct yet sympathetic, this guide will be a boon for those struggling with the inherent difficulties of leading a group.
-
-
Clear Headed Guidance on Building Teams
- By Mark on 01-18-03
By: Patrick Lencioni
-
Multipliers, Revised and Updated
- How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
- By: Liz Wiseman, Stephen Covey - foreword
- Narrated by: Liz Wiseman, John Meagher
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We've all had experiences with two dramatically different types of leaders. The first type drain intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always need to be the smartest people in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment. On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them.
-
-
Good points, but highly repetitive
- By 9a7ner on 02-27-19
By: Liz Wiseman, and others
-
Measure What Matters
- How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs
- By: John Doerr, Larry Page - foreword
- Narrated by: John Doerr, full cast, Julia Collins, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Measure What Matters, Doerr shares a broad range of first-person, behind-the-scenes case studies, with narrators including Bono and Bill Gates, to demonstrate the focus, agility, and explosive growth that the Objectives and Key Results system has spurred at so many great organizations. This book will help a new generation of leaders capture the same magic.
-
-
Last chapter covers what matters most
- By Dan Richards on 06-08-18
By: John Doerr, and others
-
Scaling Up
- How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't, Rockefeller Habits 2.0
- By: Verne Harnish
- Narrated by: Spencer Cannon
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's been over a decade since Verne Harnish's best-selling book Mastering the Rockefeller Habits was first released. Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't is the first major revision of this business classic. In Scaling Up, Harnish and his team share practical tools and techniques for building an industry-dominating business.
-
-
Literally Useless | No Way 5 Star Reviews are real
- By Michael on 01-23-15
By: Verne Harnish
-
Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition)
- Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
- By: Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace - contributor
- Narrated by: Ed Catmull
- Length: 17 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The co-founder and longtime president of Pixar updates and expands his 2014 New York Times bestseller on creative leadership, reflecting on the management principles that built Pixar’s singularly successful culture, and on all he learned during the past nine years that allowed Pixar to retain its creative culture while continuing to evolve.
-
-
Why woke
- By Chris Reebals on 11-16-23
By: Ed Catmull, and others
-
Your Next Five Moves
- Master the Art of Business Strategy
- By: Patrick Bet-David
- Narrated by: Patrick Bet-David
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the creator of Valuetainment, the number-one YouTube channel for entrepreneurs, and “one of the most exciting thinkers” (Ray Dalio, author of Principles) in business today, comes a practical and effective guide for thinking more clearly and achieving your most audacious professional goals.
-
-
Mediocre; few actionable take-aways.
- By Michael on 10-31-20
-
Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition
- Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity
- By: Kim Scott
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The idea is simple: You don't have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk. Using Radical Candor - avoiding the perils of Obnoxious Aggression, Manipulative Insincerity, and Ruinous Empathy - you can be kind and clear at the same time. Kim Scott was a highly successful leader at Google before decamping to Apple, where she developed and taught a management class.
-
-
Odd Beginning in Revised Ed but Stick with it
- By nonscelus on 12-05-19
By: Kim Scott
-
Uncommon Service
- How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business
- By: Frances Frei, Anne Morriss
- Narrated by: Eliza Foss
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most companies treat service as a low-priority business operation, keeping it out of the spotlight until a customer complains. Then service gets to make a brief appearance - for as long as it takes to calm the customer down and fix whatever foul-up jeopardized the relationship. In Uncommon Service, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss show how, in a volatile economy where the old rules of strategic advantage no longer hold true, service must become a competitive weapon, not a damage-control function. That means weaving service tightly into every core decision your company makes.
-
-
1/2 half of the book has good ideas - narrator is a huge drawback
- By Dave-GRMI on 12-26-20
By: Frances Frei, and others
-
Nine-Figure Mindset
- How to Go from Zero to Over $100 Million in Net Worth
- By: Brandon Dawson
- Narrated by: Brandon Dawson
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Nine-Figure Mindset, Brandon Dawson unveils how to tap into the remarkable potential hidden inside each and every one of us. Drawing from his own awe-inspiring journey, Brandon shows that success and leadership are attainable to anyone willing to cultivate the right shift in thinking. Combining personal experiences with actionable strategies, Nine-Figure Mindset serves as a guidebook to next level achievements you’ve never imagined were possible.
-
-
interesting but not life changing
- By Candance406_ on 02-21-24
By: Brandon Dawson
-
The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business
- By: Josh Kaufman
- Narrated by: Josh Kaufman
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Josh Kaufman founded PersonalMBA.com as an alternative to the business school boondoggle. His blog has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers to the best business books and most powerful business concepts of all time. Now, he shares the essentials of entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, negotiation, operations, productivity, systems design, and much more, in one comprehensive volume. The Personal MBA distills the most valuable business lessons into simple, memorable mental models that can be applied to real-world challenges.
-
-
Not an MBA, But A Damn Decent Experience.
- By Cori on 01-20-13
By: Josh Kaufman
-
The Goal
- A Process of Ongoing Improvement - 30th Anniversary Edition
- By: Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this intriguing business novel, which illustrates state-of-the-art economic theory, Alex Rogo is a UniCo plant manager whose factory and marriage are failing. To revitalize the plant, he follows piecemeal advice from an elusive former college professor who teaches, for example, that reduction in the efficiency of some plant operations may make the entire operation more productive. Alex's attempts to find the path to profitability and to engage his employees in the struggle involve the listener; and thankfully the authors' economic models.
-
-
The Goal - still relevant today
- By Wooden Nichols on 05-03-15
By: Eliyahu M. Goldratt, and others
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Great by Choice
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ZOLTAN
- 11-10-12
You just can't beat Jim Collins by Jim Collins!
If you could sum up Great by Choice in three words, what would they be?
Passion, facts and discipline lead to greatness in business (9 words!).
What other book might you compare Great by Choice to and why?
All of Jim Collins and Tom Peters books!
Have you listened to any of Jim Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, just read them.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Perhaps energized is the right word.
Any additional comments?
If you're into business and?or leadership books then you should definitely listen to this one!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brendon
- 05-24-12
Jim's narrative was painful at first, but soon got
Any additional comments?
Jim's narrative was painful at first, but soon got over that - the content in this one is fantastic - his best so far!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Willie
- 09-01-19
Good book and backed by data
Struggled to listen to reader sometimes. Almost sounds like some part we're made up. Message though was great and I learnt a lot
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Trevor
- 04-16-12
More great anecdotes
What made the experience of listening to Great by Choice the most enjoyable?
Anecdotes help me visualise the crux of the topic. Then the reference back to business decisions and performance outcomes gives depth/ application
If you’ve listened to books by Jim Collins and Morten T Hansen before, how does this one compare?
Good to great is still the best
Which scene was your favorite?
Race to the South Pole
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Nothing emotional, just lots of ideas to apply
Any additional comments?
Great body of work amongst his books - ideas about simplifying many actions down to principles.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tom
- 08-06-12
Always enjoy Jim Collins' studies...
Where does Great by Choice rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
pretty good.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Great by Choice?
the stories used to illustrate his key points are memorable.
Which scene was your favorite?
the 20-mile march concept
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
the three key points as a whole is very sticky.
Any additional comments?
no
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Henry
- 07-27-13
Well researched and a timely book for today.
What did you love best about Great by Choice?
Jim Collin's work is well researched and nicely argued. He has tried well to make sense of what makes companies successful and not so successful.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes. Being read by Jim Collin's himself, I think helped.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Femi A.
- 02-15-20
Very insightful
Awesome perspectives and analysis, great to have for anyone running or building a business
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cori
- 02-04-13
Another excellent addition to the "Great" family
I have read all the books by Jim Collins, and as an entrepreneur his offerings never fail to give me many great insights and new thinking in how to build and run my enterprises effectively and successfully. Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Neale Blackwood
- 10-24-15
Great by audio
Any additional comments?
Great book that extends the previous research and looks at what is needed to thrive in a constantly changing world. Examples from different areas of life are used as well as business examples. Some interesting insights some are counter intuitive. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Danie Grobler
- 10-08-12
Informative, and valuable lessons in Business.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, It has great concepts in the book about business and what makes one great.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Great by Choice?
There is many stories to explain the concepts in the book.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, you could stop listening.
Any additional comments?
Would advice it to anyone.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!