Beating the Blandness of Good

Good is the enemy of great, or so author Jim Collins reminds us. Most teams and organizations never experience greatness because they become overly satisfied with good. Worse yet, over time, “good” will turn into…just okay.

On less effective teams, “good” becomes associated with “enough” until “good enough” becomes a rallying cry for mediocrity. Maybe Collins is right. Good is too often the enemy of great. 

But good, by necessity, precedes great. Good is the springboard for greatness when teams set their sights on excellence. The desire for greatness always starts with the leader. A team or organization attempting to incorporate the practice and discipline required to reach the next level looks to the leader to decide how important it is. 

When good is connected to a leader’s vision and fueled by the leader’s passion, greatness happens. Leadership passion is the secret sauce that turns the blandness of good into the distinction of greatness. How leaders incite and feed the passion of those stuck in the gear of good makes all of the difference. When greatness is in the future, passion is contagious. And it starts with the leader. Before asking if your team or organization is capable of great, ask yourself if you display the passion for great so everyone can see and feel it.