Jim Collins’ book Good to Great is the result of a five-year study to understand what makes some good companies excel and become great companies while others stay at a level of mediocrity or, worse, just die. The book identifies the elements that make good companies great and uses them to provide a structure that can be applied to an organization to take it from “Good to Great.”

Four years later, Jim published an addendum discussing how the “Good to Great” principles applied to social sector organizations. He recognized that leaders of social sector organizations have questions when trying to apply the principles, and this supplement discusses those issues.

As always when studying leadership I do it with my “Masonic Lens” and ask myself “How can this help Masonry?”

Collins’s research shows that building a great organization proceeds in four basic stages, each consisting of two fundamental principles. Here are the stages and my comments and opinions as they relate to the current state of Masonry.

Stage 1 – Disciplined People – Collins says organizations need “Level 5 Leadership”

Collins defines a Level 5 Leader as one who has put the organization’s success ahead of his own and has a fierce resolve to do whatever it takes to see that the organization’s work succeeds. Masonry certainly has many leaders who quietly and diligently work for the cause daily and expect no great reward. Their reward comes from seeing Masonry progress. However, some leaders in our organization believe their work requires them to receive a title, and the title makes them respected leaders.·

 Masonry needs more Level 5 Leaders.

Collins says organizations need to, “have the right people on the bus, the wrong people off  the bus, and the right people in the key seats before they figure out where to drive the bus.” This statement tells us that the selection of the right type of men to lead Masonry is critical and once selected, they should be performing functions that match their skills. An example in Masonry is the brother who is an excellent ritualist appointed to the lodge line who doesn’t have the people skills to lead.

Masonry needs to concentrate on leadership skills and not ritual proficiency when selecting leaders.

 

Stage 2 – Disciplined Thought – The two principles in stage two are “Confronting the Brutal Facts” and the “Hedgehog Concept.”

Confronting the brutal facts to Collins means having an unwavering resolve that you will prevail in the end while understanding your situation’s current reality. The “Hedgehog Concept” is an organizational model that has defined what you can be the best at in the world, what you are deeply passionate about, and what drives your resource engine.

Masonry, then, to start the road from good to great, needs to recognize first the brutal facts of our situation: declining membership, less participation, lack of proper leadership, and little or no public perception of what we do. Second, we should get back to the business of creating Masons and not members.

Masonry needs some serious disciplined thought about what we do and at what we can be the best in the world.

 

Stage 3 – Disciplined Action – The principles controlling the disciplined action should come from a “Culture of Discipline” and “The Flywheel.”

Collins describes an organizational culture in which people do not have jobs they have responsibilities. They are disciplined people who engage in disciplined thought centered on what they have defined they can be the best in the world at.

The “Flywheel” depicts the necessary action, a process that resembles pushing a heavy flywheel, constantly building momentum slowly. There is no magic bullet or white knight who rides in to save the organization; it’s just a focused, determined effort constantly heading toward the ultimate goal.

Masonry seems to be short on action and needs to develop a culture of discipline.

 

Stage 4 – Building Greatness to Last – The principles here are “Clock Building, Not Time Telling,” and “Preserve the Core and Stimulate Progress.”

Clock building is about creating multiple generations of leaders instead of focusing on one particular leader or program. You build programs to stimulate progress, not to focus on a particular period of time or leader. “Preserving the Core and Stimulate Progress” is about clearly distinguishing between “what we stand for,” which Collins says should never change, and “how we do things,” which he states should never stop changing.

Masonry has made some strides in some lodges that are recognizing the need to build programs that are not specific to one Master, and this practice should be encouraged and expanded. On the distinction of “what we stand for” versus “how we do things,” I don’t know if we are doing too well. Change a lot of times is viewed as a dirty word. I think making it clear that when we change things, we are not changing what we believe in would start us down the path of meaningful change.

Masonry needs to stop the use of the term “My Year,” start building clocks and stop telling time.

Jim Collins provides free, downloadable diagnostic tools on his website to help you get started with the Good To Great framework. You should really take a look at this and be the one to start your lodge and Masonry to go from “Good to Great.”

Have a Great Masonic Day!