Episode
#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
2:24:41
Published: Mon Feb 18 2019
Description
Brought to you by Peloton and LinkedIn Jobs."I'm not really a business author; I just happen to have used companies as the method to study human systems because there's great data." — Jim CollinsMy guest for this episode is the incredible (and somewhat reclusive) Jim Collins.This was a rare treat, as Jim rarely does any media or interviews. I’ve wanted to speak with him for more than a decade, and it was worth the wait. This conversation overdelivered on every level. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. So, who is Jim Collins?Jim Collins (jimcollins.com) is a student and teacher of what makes great companies tick, and a Socratic advisor to leaders in the business and social sectors. He has authored or coauthored eight books that have together sold 10+ million copies worldwide, including Good to Great, Good to Great and the Social Sectors, Built to Last, How the Mighty Fall, Great by Choice, and his newest work, Turning the Flywheel.Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.In 2017, Forbes selected Jim as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.Jim is also an avid rock climber and has completed single-day ascents of El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite Valley.Enjoy!Click here for the show notes for this episode.This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn and its job recruitment platform, which offers a smarter system for the hiring process. If you've ever hired anyone (or attempted to), you know finding the right people can be difficult. If you don't have a direct referral from someone you trust, you're left to use job boards that don't offer any real-world networking approach.LinkedIn, as the world's largest professional network -- used by more than 70 percent of the US workforce -- has a built-in ecosystem that allows you to not only search for employees, but also interact with them, their connections, and their former employers and colleagues in a way that closely mimics real-life communication. Visit LinkedIn.com/Tim and receive a $50 credit toward your first job post!This podcast is also brought to you by Peloton, which has become a staple of my daily routine. I picked up this bike after seeing the success of my friend Kevin Rose, and I've been enjoying it more than I ever imagined. Peloton is an indoor cycling bike that brings live studio classes right to your home. No worrying about fitting classes into your busy schedule or making it to a studio with a crazy commute.New classes are added every day, and this includes options led by elite NYC instructors in your own living room. You can even live stream studio classes taught by the world's best instructors, or find your favorite class on demand.Peloton is offering listeners to this show a special offer. Visit onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM at checkout to receive $100 off accessories with your Peloton bike purchase. This is a great way to get in your workouts, or an incredible gift. Again, that's onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM.***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
Posting a job on a job board and waiting for the right candidate to apply is not enough.
00:00 - 02:42 (02:42)
Summary
Posting a job on a job board and waiting for the right candidate to apply is not enough. Instead, focus on finding the right person by posting your job where people go every day to make connections, grow in their careers, and discover job opportunities.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Jim Collins talks about his many books, including his newest work, Turning the Fly Wheel, and Tim Ferriss deconstructs the habits and routines of world-class performers on his show.
02:42 - 08:28 (05:46)
Summary
Jim Collins talks about his many books, including his newest work, Turning the Fly Wheel, and Tim Ferriss deconstructs the habits and routines of world-class performers on his show.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The acquisition and study of other languages offers a different lens to process the world and react to things differently, almost like an operating system for thinking that is associated with different cultures.
08:28 - 20:25 (11:56)
Summary
The acquisition and study of other languages offers a different lens to process the world and react to things differently, almost like an operating system for thinking that is associated with different cultures. These languages tend to reflect different personalities, value systems and priorities within their coding languages.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how the development of a method for studying successful companies impacted his writing and thinking.
20:25 - 28:23 (07:58)
Summary
The speaker shares how the development of a method for studying successful companies impacted his writing and thinking. McPhee, among others, is cited as a major influence on the speaker’s work.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The difference between a good company and a great company is the presence of Level Five leadership.
28:23 - 35:31 (07:07)
Summary
The difference between a good company and a great company is the presence of Level Five leadership. It entails having exceptional leadership abilities, coupled with ambition and humility, and a will for something bigger than oneself.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
By analyzing data from numerous sources, quantitative evidence can provide insights and create a more humbling perspective, such as comparing the language used by successful CEOs vs. those not as successful.
35:31 - 41:27 (05:55)
Summary
By analyzing data from numerous sources, quantitative evidence can provide insights and create a more humbling perspective, such as comparing the language used by successful CEOs vs. those not as successful.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares the story of how they became a self-employed professor and the importance of allocating time for new intellectual and creative work.
41:27 - 46:11 (04:44)
Summary
The speaker shares the story of how they became a self-employed professor and the importance of allocating time for new intellectual and creative work.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker describes how they track their creative work every day using a simple spreadsheet with three cells, which help them stay accountable for the number of creative hours they get each day.
46:12 - 55:05 (08:53)
Summary
The speaker describes how they track their creative work every day using a simple spreadsheet with three cells, which help them stay accountable for the number of creative hours they get each day.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
On this episode, the host explores the paradox of creativity and how having many helpers doesn't necessarily equate to creative output.
55:06 - 1:06:25 (11:19)
Summary
On this episode, the host explores the paradox of creativity and how having many helpers doesn't necessarily equate to creative output.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker wonders why people don't put as much thought into managing their sleep time as they do with their daily routine and shares his experience of taking a sleep test to see if he has any sleep pathologies.
1:06:27 - 1:09:45 (03:18)
Summary
The speaker wonders why people don't put as much thought into managing their sleep time as they do with their daily routine and shares his experience of taking a sleep test to see if he has any sleep pathologies.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
By counting his naps and tracking his sleep hours over a 10-day cycle, the podcast host discovered that the number of hours of sleep over a given period of time is more important than the daily amount.
1:09:46 - 1:15:03 (05:16)
Summary
By counting his naps and tracking his sleep hours over a 10-day cycle, the podcast host discovered that the number of hours of sleep over a given period of time is more important than the daily amount. Creating a conducive environment for sleep can help recharge creative minds, even if it’s in an unconventional place like an airplane.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Hedgehog Concept focuses on finding and focusing on what you are passionate about and can be best in the world at, while the Flywheel Effect is the gradual accumulation of small decisions and actions leading to big results.
1:15:03 - 1:19:17 (04:14)
Summary
The Hedgehog Concept focuses on finding and focusing on what you are passionate about and can be best in the world at, while the Flywheel Effect is the gradual accumulation of small decisions and actions leading to big results.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode follows the journey of author and artist David Kwong who found his way back to teaching with the creation of his book through the inspiration of studying himself like a bug.
1:19:17 - 1:24:26 (05:08)
Summary
This episode follows the journey of author and artist David Kwong who found his way back to teaching with the creation of his book through the inspiration of studying himself like a bug.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how he spent two weeks preparing and three days codifying all his notes after spending some time with Peter Drucker, and how he creates his own mentor by reading biographies of people he looks up to.
1:24:26 - 1:30:43 (06:16)
Summary
The speaker shares how he spent two weeks preparing and three days codifying all his notes after spending some time with Peter Drucker, and how he creates his own mentor by reading biographies of people he looks up to.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker imagines how surreal it must have felt to sit in Peter's wicker chair after seeing him sitting in it, and shares about the first-ever wicker chair lecture at the museum.
1:30:43 - 1:36:26 (05:43)
Summary
The speaker imagines how surreal it must have felt to sit in Peter's wicker chair after seeing him sitting in it, and shares about the first-ever wicker chair lecture at the museum.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Author Jim Collins reveals that seemingly diverse decisions can actually be part of the same category of a decision when it comes to business, and discusses the teaching value of his new monograph "Turning the Flywheel."
1:36:26 - 1:41:14 (04:47)
Summary
Author Jim Collins reveals that seemingly diverse decisions can actually be part of the same category of a decision when it comes to business, and discusses the teaching value of his new monograph "Turning the Flywheel."
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The flywheel principle, as exemplified by Amazon, is all about harnessing momentum through a cycle of interdependent, organic growth factors to achieve success, rather than relying on one superhero CEO to save the day.
1:41:14 - 1:47:25 (06:11)
Summary
The flywheel principle, as exemplified by Amazon, is all about harnessing momentum through a cycle of interdependent, organic growth factors to achieve success, rather than relying on one superhero CEO to save the day.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Flywheel Monograph explains the concept of the flywheel and its importance in building momentum within a business.
1:47:25 - 1:54:52 (07:27)
Summary
The Flywheel Monograph explains the concept of the flywheel and its importance in building momentum within a business. The idea is to deeply understand how the flywheel works and identify what drives it so that it can be extended and used to achieve greater success.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast episode explains the concept of the flywheel effect and how it can have both positive and negative outcomes over time.
1:54:52 - 2:00:23 (05:30)
Summary
This podcast episode explains the concept of the flywheel effect and how it can have both positive and negative outcomes over time.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Ray Dalio emphasizes the importance of discipline in building successful teams and companies that last, starting with disciplined people.
2:00:23 - 2:08:39 (08:16)
Summary
Ray Dalio emphasizes the importance of discipline in building successful teams and companies that last, starting with disciplined people. He also stresses the value of meaningful work with people you love and respect in both personal and professional relationships.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim offers a short email every Friday with the coolest things that he has discovered or pondered over the week, including gizmos, gadgets, articles, and music.
2:08:40 - 2:19:30 (10:50)
Summary
Tim offers a short email every Friday with the coolest things that he has discovered or pondered over the week, including gizmos, gadgets, articles, and music.
Episode#361: Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast episode discusses the benefits of Peloton for exercising at home, and the challenges of finding the right hire for your business.
2:19:31 - 2:24:35 (05:04)
Summary
The podcast episode discusses the benefits of Peloton for exercising at home, and the challenges of finding the right hire for your business.