Jim has authored or co-authored five books based on his research, including the classic
Built to Last, a fixture on the
Business Week best-seller list for more than six years, and has been translated into 25 languages. The most recent book is
How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In.
Good to Great, his previous book, is "about the factors common to those few companies ... to sustain remarkable success for a substantial period," attained long-running positions on the
New York Times,
Wall Street Journal and
Business Week best-seller lists, sold 2.5 million hardcover copies since publication, and has been translated into 32 languages.
Collins often discusses a "Level 5 leader" in his writings. This refers to the peak of a five-tier hierarchy of leadership characteristics presented in the books. A Level 5 Leader is someone who embodies a “paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.”
Books
- 1994: Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras (Paperback, Hardcover, CD)
- 1995: Beyond Entrepreneurship: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company by James C. Collins and William C. Lazier (Paperback & Hardcover)
- 2001: Why Some Companies Make the Leap And Others Don’t by James C. Collins (Paperback, Hardcover, CD).
- 2005: Good to Great and the Social Sectors by James C. Collins (Paperback)
- 2009: How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by James C. Collins