First Who ... Then What
50 questions available
Questions
According to Chapter 3, what is the foundational principle that executives of good-to-great companies followed when initiating their transformations?
View answer and explanationWhat management model did Wells Fargo's comparison company, Bank of America, follow that contrasted with Wells Fargo's approach of hiring top talent?
View answer and explanationWhile losing $1 million every business day, what was CEO David Maxwell's first priority upon taking over Fannie Mae?
View answer and explanationWhat term does the author use to describe the leadership model common in comparison companies, where success is dependent on a single, extraordinary individual?
View answer and explanationIn the comparison between Jack Eckerd and Cork Walgreen, what was the primary difference in their 'genius'?
View answer and explanationWhat was the key finding from the research regarding the link between executive compensation and the transition from good to great?
View answer and explanationThe book revises the old adage 'People are your most important asset' to what?
View answer and explanationWhat is the crucial distinction between a 'rigorous' culture and a 'ruthless' culture as described in Chapter 3?
View answer and explanationHow many Crocker Bank managers were terminated by Wells Fargo on the first day of the consolidation?
View answer and explanationWhat was the research finding regarding the frequency of layoffs in good-to-great companies compared to comparison companies?
View answer and explanationWhat is Practical Discipline number one for being rigorous, as outlined in Chapter 3?
View answer and explanationThe principle that 'No company can grow revenues consistently faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth and still become a great company' is known as what?
View answer and explanationWhat was the key contrast in focus during the early years between Alan Wurtzel at Circuit City and Sidney Cooper at the comparison company, Silo?
View answer and explanationWhat behavioral pattern of management turnover did the research find in good-to-great companies?
View answer and explanationFor what percentage of his first two years as CEO did Gillette's Colman Mockler focus on adjusting his top management team?
View answer and explanationWhat is the key takeaway from the story of Philip Morris moving its top executive, George Weissman, to run its international division?
View answer and explanationWhat did Darwin Smith of Kimberly-Clark make clear to the company's best people from the paper business when the company decided to sell the mills?
View answer and explanationThe chapter concludes that adherence to the 'first who' principle is the closest link between a great company and what else?
View answer and explanationHow is the experience of the good-to-great teams described in the final section of the chapter, 'First Who, Great Companies, and a Great Life'?
View answer and explanationWhat was the result for Teledyne's stock after its 'genius' leader, Henry Singleton, stepped away from day-to-day management in the mid-1980s?
View answer and explanationIn determining 'the right people,' what did good-to-great companies prioritize over specific educational background, practical skills, or work experience?
View answer and explanationWhen Wells Fargo acquired Crocker Bank, what did its actions demonstrate about its 'rigorous' approach?
View answer and explanationAccording to the two key questions that can help determine if a change is needed, what should you ask yourself if a person announced they were leaving?
View answer and explanationIn the comparison company Teledyne, how many acquisitions did Henry Singleton complete to build his far-flung empire?
View answer and explanationWhat does the book suggest is the primary purpose of a compensation system in a good-to-great company?
View answer and explanationWhat was the first of the three simple truths that good-to-great leaders understood?
View answer and explanationWhat happened to the banking sector's performance relative to the general stock market during the period Wells Fargo made its spectacular rise?
View answer and explanationAt Fannie Mae, what was the fate of the executive who, after careful consideration, told CEO David Maxwell, 'I don’t want to do this'?
View answer and explanationWhat was the primary guidance mechanism for Walgreens' corporate strategy, in contrast to Eckerd Corporation's?
View answer and explanationWhat was the only significant difference the research found in the compensation of good-to-great executives versus their counterparts at comparison companies?
View answer and explanationAt Nucor, what was the approximate percentage of a steelworker's compensation that was tied directly to the productivity of their work team?
View answer and explanationWhat was the consequence of letting the wrong people hang around, according to the chapter?
View answer and explanationHow long did it take for Circuit City and Silo's business strategies to become essentially the same, according to the book?
View answer and explanationWhat is the first of the two key questions to ask yourself to determine if you have the right person on the bus (when considering an existing employee)?
View answer and explanationIn the early 1960s, what percentage of Philip Morris's revenues came from overseas before Joe Cullman decided to build the international business?
View answer and explanationWhat is the important corollary to the discipline of putting your best people on your biggest opportunities?
View answer and explanationHow did Dick Appert, a senior executive from Kimberly-Clark's divested papermaking division, view the decision to sell the mills?
View answer and explanationAccording to one of the 'three simple truths,' what happens to the problem of motivation and management if you have the right people on the bus?
View answer and explanationWhat was the name of the powerboat owned by Harris Corporation's CEO Joseph Boyd, which was located in the city he moved the company headquarters to?
View answer and explanationWhat did Walter Bruckart, a vice president at Circuit City, identify as the top five factors that led to the company's transition from mediocrity to excellence?
View answer and explanationIn the Level 5 plus Management Team model, what comes after 'First Who'?
View answer and explanationThe name 'Teledyne' derives from Greek and means what?
View answer and explanationAccording to the Marine Corps analogy used by a Pitney Bowes executive, what is the organization's approach to values?
View answer and explanationHow much was the marbled executive dining room's china worth at Crocker Bank before the Wells Fargo acquisition?
View answer and explanationAccording to Alan Wurtzel's letter quoted on page 68, what is the important corollary to 'getting the right people on the bus'?
View answer and explanationWhat was the final outcome for Teledyne, the classic 'genius with a thousand helpers' company?
View answer and explanationWhy, according to the chapter, is it unfair to the 'wrong person' to wait too long before making a change?
View answer and explanationIn the Level 4 'Genius with a Thousand Helpers' model, what is the typical sequence of actions?
View answer and explanationWhat happened to Bank of America after losing over $1 billion in the mid-1980s?
View answer and explanationWhy did the members of the good-to-great teams, such as the executives at Philip Morris and Kimberly-Clark, often remain friends and colleagues for life?
View answer and explanation