From Good to Great and then some
As I prepared for writing my blurb for the engineering grad yearbook I considered things like who I am, and what I value the most. I remembered being introduced to Jim Collins ‘ work a year ago, reading up on his perspectives on leadership and posted a bit on my blog about it. Though I’d been meaning to get my hands on and read his book: “From Good to Great“, I haven’t yet got to it. Still… I never forgot that catchy title.
Memorable though it is, as a tagline raised in the book, “from good to great” is not a phrase familiar to everyone. What is more familiar to people is that encouraging and inspiring motto: don’t just do good–do great!
Certainly this is a running motto in my life as well. And the thought had just come back to mind again a few days ago that when I play, I play to win. It had come up again as I contemplated starting up DotA so I could join my roommates in all their gaming fun. I was hesitant to start because I knew that to be really good at it would require more time than I had… and I want to be really good.
For me, winning/doing great is not about pride (though who can admit they are completely humble?), and it’s not only in the realm of gaming that it applies. Trying to articulate my intuitive senses… it seems to me as if there is some inherent value or virtue in the state of excellence itself. Whether in gaming or in any other aspect of life. In living a balanced life with aims for healthy, strong, mature, and all-that-you-can-be and all that God intended us to be in social, spiritual, professional, emotional, relational, physical, cultural, artistic levels and everything else that comes to mind. So “don’t just do good–do great” is no foreign thought to me: I am constantly in pursuit of excellence.
To varying extents, it’s a guiding principle in life many people hold dearly to, and it can easily lead to the trap of pride. So I was thinking about my yearbook blurb, and as I often like to see things with a different perspective, see things in a different light, look at things inside out and upside-down… it came to me.
There’s nothing wrong with the motto: Don’t just do good–do great!
But for those of you already so strung in that pursuit, I challenge you in this: Don’t just do great–do good!
At the end of the day there is nothing great in greatness except insofar as what’s great is good.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:17 am
oh my dad has this book amongst his library of books. I just saw it the other day. not sure if I can lend it to you or not though..
November 15th, 2008 at 12:19 am
oh btw, this is what I saw at the house with all the pottery by your place in San Jose the day I visited.
http://sajoy.aminus3.com/image/2008-10-09.html
November 15th, 2008 at 12:28 am
This was a book they made everyone read at Weston Bakeries.
I have a slightly different version.
“I didn’t come here to play. I came to win.”
Do things well or don’t attempt. Yes, I’m sure you know how picky I am with the things I care about.
November 15th, 2008 at 1:16 am
word.
November 18th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
The topic was cross-blogged =p
http://projectcontempo.ca/blog/?p=133
August 8th, 2009 at 1:24 am
My mom always told me to be No.1. But I?don’t like to be No.1. So my favorite number is 2.:) In pursuit of excellence, sometimes you will lose yourself and the initial happiness?wondering why I start and keep doing without feeling really happy.
After becoming a Christian, I realize that without the purpose of glorify God and benefit people, the pursuit of being great can easily going to the wrong way–cockiness, afraid of losing honor or failure, jealous, self-independence, loneliness and emptiness. But with God inside, we know what we do everything for, who gives us the ability to succeed.
As a Christian, we should remember all belong to God. It’s God who gives us what we have, and he can take away anything as he like. When we try to be great, check that doing this great will glorify God and benefit people, or just will satisfy the flesh in ourselves.