With my career in the doldrums, I needed something inspirational and motivating to pull up my socks. One of my colleagues suggested this book. Initially, I did not take up the suggestion seriously. However, when it was recommended by some more colleagues, I decided to go for it.
*About Built to Last:
This is a work of research, not of creativity**. In the category of non-fiction, but not in the category of Management and Business works. The attempt of the authors is to draw certain conclusions and arrive at practices that if implemented, could help in the creation of more "visionary" companies. Even if this does not help in the creation of such companies, the authors hope these practices will make existing companies more "visionary".
The effort is eminently commendable. The treatment is thorough and professional. And the chapters of the book are well sequenced so as to lead the reader from one concept to another quite logically and seamlessly. Various mechanisms and processes have been touted as the means by which a Great Visionary company can be built and sustained. **Having aggressive goals, encouraging research and an experimental approach, relying only on home grown management for leadership positions are some of these.
One of the conclusions drawn by the books is that personalilites do not matter as much as a well discovered "core" ideology and means by which progress is stimulated and maintained. This is something which I find difficult to accept, simply because, it is only personalities that help in the building up of ideologies and giving them practical shape. Again, once mechanisms are defined and goals are set, unless the right people who believe in them are available, these structures are just not sustainable.
Related Works:
I have not read many other Management or Business related books to be able to compare this with others. However, there are some similarities between the thrust behind this work and that of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. While Built to Last targets organizations, the book by Stephen Covey targets people. The underlying principles however, apply to both. Whether an organization or an individual or a family the same eternal principles and values apply to all.
Recommendation:
This book is not easy to read in the sense that you cannot read it from start to finish in one go. And probably it is not meant to be read that way. You could give yourself a month’s time to complete this book. Read it slowly, probably section by section. That way you will learn to relate the principles and examples given within your own work atmosphere. **Definitely worth your time!