Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

Explain how three companies embraced the “genius of the and” (43). Compare them to three companies who followed the “tyranny of the or” (43). How are they fundamentally different? What qualities allowed companies to follow the and rather than be restricted by the or?

Pick three companies you believe could be added to the list of visionary companies. What qualities make them visionary? What is their core ideology? How do they preserve the core and stimulate progress?

Rank Collins and Porras’s list of 18 companies from most to least visionary. Explain your placement for the top three and bottom three. What qualities or actions make these companies more or less visionary?

Collins and Porras discuss using cultism to stimulate progress, despite noting its drawbacks. Explain how these methods can be beneficial and problematic for a company. How can a company use these methods judiciously? In your opinion, which companies strike the best balance between cultism and employee autonomy? Explain your answer.

How do visionary companies challenge the belief that groundbreaking ideas or charismatic leaders are essential for success? Use specific examples from the work to explain your answer.

Examine the role of BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) in driving progress and sustaining the existence of visionary companies. Are they necessary, or are there better ways to ensure progress? Explain your answer with specific examples.

After the publication of Built to Last, several visionary companies experienced declines. Does this call into question the validity of Collins and Porras’s research? What reasons for these declines could provide evidence for, rather than undermining, the concepts in Built to Last? Explain your answer using specific examples.

In what ways do visionary companies actively seek and remove policies misaligned with their core ideology, and how does this contribute to their success? Use specific examples to explain your answer.