Craft: The Flywheel Effect

Jim Collins’ concept of the “Flywheel” is a key idea from his book Good to Great, where he explains how great companies achieve momentum and success over time. The flywheel is a metaphor for the cumulative effect of many small, consistent efforts that, over time, create significant forward momentum, just like turning a heavy flywheel. Collins found that companies that transitioned from “good” to “great” didn’t rely on a single innovation or breakthrough; instead, they gradually built up their success through steady, disciplined actions.

The flywheel effect operates in three main steps:

1. Pushing with Discipline: At first, each push on the flywheel (each small action or decision) feels difficult and doesn’t produce immediate results. But consistent effort builds energy over time.
2. Gaining Momentum: As the company continues to focus on well-aligned, disciplined actions, the flywheel builds momentum, requiring less energy per push and moving with increasing speed.
3. Achieving Breakthrough: Eventually, the flywheel reaches a point where it’s almost self-sustaining, with the energy and momentum built up from previous efforts driving ongoing growth and success.

In applying the flywheel concept, Collins emphasizes that leaders need to identify and focus on the unique drivers of success for their organizations, so the flywheel’s momentum builds around their core mission.

Source: Flywheel

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