A monthly newsletter from see see eye

Volume 4, Number 1

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by Terry Davis, President, see see eye


eye on > The Tough Call

In a recent FORTUNE magazine interview, Jim Collins, renowned author of business blockbusters Built to Last and Good to Great, shared his insights on the ingredients that make great decisions, great leaders and great companies. see see eye's latest white paper, "The Art of the Tough Call," looked at Collins' comments for their value to professional communicators. Below is an excerpt from that white paper.

Bestselling business author Jim Collins analyzed the processes behind key decisions in business history and, in an interview for the June 27, 2005 issue of FORTUNE magazine, discussed insights he had gathered in his research. Collins' remarks are worthwhile for those seeking leadership tips, but they also offer good advice for communications professionals looking to effectively deliver company messages.

Noteworthy Collins comments:

“. . . when I look at my research notes and I look at interview transcripts from the executives we’ve interviewed, one theme that comes through is that their greatest decisions were not ‘what’ but ‘who.’ They were people decisions.” Jim Collins firmly believes that great leaders make decisions about which people to bring on the team – not which strategy to implement. Collins contends that if a leader has a team of capable people, that team will know how to find the solution when a major business challenge occurs.

see see eye’s translation: instead of going on about strategy, tell your company’s people stories wherever possible. Include tales of people accomplishing the "unachievable," going to great lengths or contributing out-of-the-box ideas that led to success. People stories are far more engaging and send a message that good people are valuable.

“. . . the leaders who ended up setting things in place that produced extraordinary results over time, and a series of great decisions over time, really were very comfortable saying ‘I don’t know’ until they knew.” According to Collins, it’s better for a leader to say “I don’t know” and mean it than to pretend he/she has the answer in order to appear resolute. Or worse, says Collins, “The CEO has already made a decision and his definition of leadership is to get people to participate so that they feel good about the decision he’s already made.”

see see eye's translation: whenever possible, present your CEO as a real person – someone who is approachable, explains things in simple terms and isn’t afraid to admit she/he doesn’t have all the answers.

To read the full version of "The Art of the Tough Call," please visit us on the Web at www.seeseeeye.com.

Having trouble finding the right way to tell your company's stories? We can help!

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About Us

see see eye is an award-winning graphic design firm that helps Fortune 1000 companies and other organizations build stakeholder confidence. The firm uses strategic creative design and effective message development to produce Web sites, branded collateral programs, annual reports and other communications targeted to customers, employees, investors and community members. Additional information can be found at the company's Web site, www.seeseeeye.com.