Day one today of the World Business Forum #WBF10 kicked off with a bang with Jim Collins, author of Good to Great.

Unlike recent past years where there has been a bit of doom and gloom, I found the session to be uplifting. With messages of hope and beating the odds by staying true to your personal values.

Jim’s message? Don’t give up.

We all suffer staggering defeats in our lives. It’s okay to go through setbacks, but it’s critical to not give up on values and aspirations that make the struggle worthwhile.

Collins next book will be on how companies persevere and even thrive in difficult times. He believes we are in a new normal where change and struggle will be constant.

Here’s his  list of Ten “To Do’s” to start on the path for Surviving and Thriving:

#1 Do your diagnostics (free Good to Great diagnostic on his website).

#2 Don’t focus on career – focus on building pockets of greatness.

#3 Get the right people on the bus. How many key seats are filled on your bus, what are your plans for filling them with the right people?

#4 Double your questions to statements ratio in the next year.

#5 Focus on what really matters. How is our world changing and what are the brutal facts?


#6 Turn off your cell phone; create “white space” for thinking.

#7 Create a “Stop Doing List.” Time is the great equalizer – stop wasting it.

#8 Prioritize. If you woke up tomorrow with 2 phone calls and one tells you that you won 20 million dollars, the other says you have 10 years to live, what would you stop doing?

#9 Stop giving people titles. The right people understand that they don’t have a job – they have responsibilities.

#10 Keep trying.  When he was 86, Peter Drucker was asked, “Which of your 26 books are you most proud of?” His response was, “The next one.” He went on to write 10 more.

Collin’s “To Do List”  touched me personally, especially the “Stop Doing List” as I struggle with time management. I also like the message of hope and the importance of staying true to your values.

Important messages in these scary times.

What’s your twist?

What’s on your “to do” list?

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Julie
Julie is the Founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a brand consultancy that helps entrepreneurs and corporations build stronger, more profitable brands.

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