James C. Collins Goal Quotations

You must ask, "What do we mean by great results?" Your goals don't have to be quantifiable, but they do have to be describable. Some leaders try to insist, "The only acceptable goals are measurable," but that's actually an undisciplined statement. Lots of goals-beauty, quality, life change, love-are worthy but not quantifiable. But you do have to be able to tell if you're making progress.

People need BHAGs - big hairy audacious goals.

I am not failing - I am growing! Do you have the ability to reframe failure as growth in order to achieve your goals?

Good-to-great companies set their goals and strategies based on understanding; comparison companies set their goals and strategies based on bravado.

Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It's not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious-but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.