There is a fair amount of “buzz” in blogs and articles on the internet about whether the research in Jim Collins’ huge bestseller, Good to Great, is valid. Take a look at this interesting article called “Luck, Inc.” from the the Boston Globe, for example.

As a person who was educated in “scientific method” (my career began as a laboratory biologist), I suppose I’ll sound a bit smug when I say that when I read the book oh-so-many years ago, I questioned the research methodology in this book and the myriad of others that followed.

However, this book and others of it’s kind still have value, as in this quote from Bob Sutton from the Globe article:

“If Jim Collins’s impact is to get people to do stuff that they know they should do already – facing the hard truths or being selfless or whatever – I certainly don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

Leaders need to contine to read these books and trust their instincts about what will work for them in the context of the organizations they are in right now. Good leaders will know what it will take for them and their organizations to become great.

My advice: keep reading (or start reading) those business and/or leadership books. If you can take away one or two good ideas that will help you to be a better leader, then it’s all worth it. Even if the research isn’t scientific.

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