Jim Collins Concepts on Discipline in Chaotic Times

Trust lessons for leaders from global expert Rachel Botsman

6 communication principles leaders should live by

While a speedy pivot might have meant survival in the pandemic, it's not a sustainable way to run your organisation.  

Nor is it always the right response to chaos. Instead of meeting chaos with more chaos, you might want to try discipline instead. 

Jim Collins, through decades of research documented in books like _"Good to Great"_ and _"Built to Last,"_ puts forward evidence that disciplined thinking and action provide the stability needed when everything else feels uncertain.

When facing uncertainty, many organisations are tempted to frantically chase the latest trends, technologies, or market opportunities. 

Collins calls this undisciplined approach the "Doom Loop" - constantly shifting direction without giving any single initiative time to succeed.

Leaders caught in this cycle confuse motion with progress. They jump from initiative to initiative, creating organisational whiplash rather than meaningful momentum. Collins's research shows that great organisations don't react impulsively to market changes or competitor moves.

#### Collins's Key Concept: The Hedgehog Concept

Hedgehogs stay alive by curling up into a spiky ball. It's their winning go-to survival action that has kept the species going for around 15 million years.

Like the hedgehog, disciplined organisations need to understand what they can uniquely excel at. This is what's found at the intersection of:

*   What you can be the best in the world at
*   What drives your economic engine
*   What you're deeply passionate about

When chaos increases, disciplined leaders don't abandon what Jim Collins terms their [hedgehog concept](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/why-good-to-great-companies-are-hedgehogs); they double down on it, making decisions that align with these core strengths rather than diluting focus.

Avoiding "Shiny Object Syndrome"

Even when [surviving rough waters](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/jim-collins-proven-frameworks-for-uncertain-times), Jim Collins found that the best leaders display what he calls ["Level 5 Leadership"](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/levelfiveleadership) \- a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. These leaders don't let ego drive decisions when pressure mounts.

**Collins's Key Concept: Level 5 Leadership**

Level 5 leaders demonstrate:

*   Fierce resolve to do whatever it takes for the organisation to succeed
*   Attribution of success to factors beyond themselves
*   Willingness to take personal responsibility when things go wrong
*   Calm determination rather than charismatic dominance

This disciplined approach to leadership becomes particularly valuable during chaotic periods when teams need stability and clarity rather than dramatic gestures or heroics.

Building Leadership Capability

One of Jim Collins's most relevant insights is that truly great businesses don't constantly reinvent themselves. Instead, they identify core values and purpose that remain unchanged regardless of external circumstances.

**Collins's Key Concept: Preserve the Core/Stimulate Progress**

This disciplined duality allows organisations to:

*   Maintain unwavering commitment to fundamental values and purpose
*   Simultaneously adapt strategies and practices to changing conditions
*   Make decisions based on enduring principles rather than temporary circumstances

When chaos reigns, these timeless principles serve as a decision-making compass that prevents a company from making short-sighted choices they'll later regret.

Focusing Energy on Timeless Principles

Another insight is that disciplined leaders follow a consistent pattern when making decisions during uncertainty. They don't react based on fear, competitive pressure, or industry hype.

**Collins's Key Concept: Confronting the Brutal Facts**

This disciplined approach to decision-making involves:

*   Creating environments where truth can be heard (see [psychologically safe workplaces](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/psychologicallysafeworkplaces))
*   Leading with questions, not answers
*   Engaging in dialogue and debate, not coercion
*   Conducting autopsies without blame when things go wrong

By establishing mechanisms that force confrontation with reality, disciplined leaders gather the evidence needed to make sound decisions even when emotions run high during chaotic times.

Basing Decisions on Evidence, Not Emotion

Perhaps the most applicable concept for navigating uncertainty is Jim Collins's "Bullets and Cannonballs" take on innovation. 

Rather than betting everything on untested ideas when pressured to act, disciplined organisations test ideas systematically.

**Collins's Key Concept: Fire Bullets, Then Cannonballs**

This disciplined innovation process of [firing bullets, then cannonballs](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Jimcollinsvideosnippets?campaign_id=701RG00000b3PZHYA2&promo=Blog&type=Affiliate) involves:

*   Firing "bullets" (low-cost, low-risk experiments) to test what works
*   Calibrating based on results to ensure accuracy
*   Only then concentrating resources on "cannonballs" (significant investments)

This cautious but clever system prevents the devastating consequences of firing uncalibrated cannonballs during chaotic periods when resources are precious and mistakes more costly.

Staying Committed to the Core While Innovating Thoughtfully

In interviews with Admiral Jim Stockdale, who survived eight years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, Collins extracted ["the Stockdale paradox"](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Jimcollinsvideosnippets?campaign_id=701RG00000b3PZHYA2&promo=Blog&type=Affiliate) \- important discipline principles for surviving extended periods of uncertainty.

**Collins's Key Concept: The Stockdale Paradox**

This mental discipline requires:

*   Maintaining unwavering faith that you will prevail in the end
*   Simultaneously confronting the most brutal facts of your current reality

Leaders who master this paradoxical thinking avoid both naive optimism (which leads to disappointment) and cynical pessimism (which leads to surrender). Instead, they face reality with remarkable psychological fortitude.

The Stockdale Paradox: The Ultimate Discipline for Chaotic Times

When markets are stable, the difference between disciplined and undisciplined organisations may not be immediately apparent. But when chaos hits, whether through economic downturn, industry disruption, or global crisis, this difference becomes dramatic.

Disciplined businesses don't just survive chaotic times; they often emerge stronger, having used the disruption as an opportunity to reinforce their core strengths while competitors floundered.

The next time you feel pressure to abandon discipline in favor of quick reactions, remember Collins's research: The path through chaos isn't found in impulsive decisions but in the steady application of disciplined thinking and action.

As Collins himself wrote: "Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline."

Conclusion: Discipline as Your Competitive Advantage

Want to keep up with the latest ideas and thinking from the brightest minds in the world?

Download our blockbuster [2025 Program.](https://ideas.growthfaculty.com/l/1071223/2024-06-12/5q9w34) Growth Faculty’s live virtual learning sessions feature some of the world's most influential thought leaders in business and leadership, many of them focusing on AI, change leadership, and adaptable leadership.

Events are added regularly, so keep up to date by signing up for [our newsletter](https://ideas.growthfaculty.com/l/1071223/2024-07-24/5qfgl1) and see what’s on offer for [Growth Faculty members](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans).

For company packages, speak to us about [Growth Faculty's Business Solutions](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans).

Jim Collins Concepts on Discipline in Chaotic Times

Good to Great author Jim Collins and the steady hand of great leaders

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

Jim Collins Concepts on Discipline in Chaotic Times

Good to Great author Jim Collins and the steady hand of great leaders

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired