Jim Collins Significant Contribution to The World of Business Discussion

Did Collins simply misinterpret how Wells Fargo reported their successes after 2001? Or was it something internal at Wells Fargo that caused the Hedgehog Concept to go awry? If so, how could profit per employee go so wrong? Most importantly, where was the failure in leadership and why?

Jim Collin’s contribution to the world of business and leadership has been nothing short of astounding. The ability to break down such a complex understanding of what it takes to become a great leader is not easily accomplished. Through his writings in both his article and the book, I find that Collins did a good job in interpreting the facts of Wells Fargo going from a smaller company that was not running at the ability it could have to the good to great company it could have been. Although he did a decent job on representing the information, I feel also that it was contradictory to what is stated in the textbook. In our textbook it states that to be a level 5 leader you must be modest, willful, humble and fearless to help them accomplish getting their companies from good to great (Collins, 2011). Also, that level 5 leaders are the ones that don’t speak about themselves and worry about what it is that will make the company thrive. By only looking to what the profits per employee were giving them, this caused the company to no longer look at the big picture of what long-term would make the company a great one. Jesus said to us in Philippians 2:5-8 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God, something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross! This scripture speaks as to remembering who we are and realizing that we must humble ourselves to the same standards we have for others. That is the failure in leadership within Wells Fargo. Taking advantage of profit from others who have no idea to seek the greed aspect of the job and not the reward of honesty.