What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't
Jim Collins · Book · 2009
If you loved Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, start with Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast (Life.Church, 2026) — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't across media.
What hooked you in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't was the relentless pursuit of self-improvement.
Films on the same thread
The Great Escape
John Sturges · Film · 1963
Explores: Ingenuity, Resilience, Fraternity.
Like the disciplined teams in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, these prisoners leverage sheer ingenuity and resilience to overcome insurmountable odds.
GoodFellas
Martin Scorsese · Film · 1990
Explores: Organized Crime, Loyalty and Betrayal, American Dream Corruption.
This narrative mirrors the rise-and-fall trajectories analyzed in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, illustrating how organizational culture shapes individual destinies.
Limitless
Neil Burger · Film · 2011
Explores: Cognitive Enhancement, Moral Ambiguity, The Price of Power.
This story explores the pursuit of human potential, echoing the focus on personal transformation found in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't.
Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis · Film · 1994
Explores: American Dream, Fate vs. Free Will, Innocence.
Just as Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't examines the mechanics of greatness, this film explores how unlikely individuals achieve extraordinary outcomes.
Series on the same thread
The Good Place
Michael Schur · Series · 2016
Explores: Redemption, Moral Improvement, Existentialism.
The focus on intentional character evolution makes this a perfect follow-up to Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't for those prioritizing growth.
Better Call Saul
Vince Gilligan · Series · 2015
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Transformation, Redemption.
This character study examines the grit required for transformation, a theme central to the strategic development principles outlined in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't.
The Office
Greg Daniels · Series · 2005
Explores: Office life, Everyday life, Eccentric characters.
After reading Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, you will appreciate this look at the daily realities of corporate culture and office dynamics.
The Good Life
John Esmonde · Series · 1975
Explores: Suburban Life, Self-Sufficiency, Class Conflict.
This shift toward self-sufficiency parallels the disciplined decision-making required for long-term sustainable success as detailed in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't.
Podcasts on the same thread
Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast
Life.Church · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Mentorship, Team Dynamics, Professional Growth.
This podcast provides the practical leadership coaching that complements the theoretical framework established in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't.
Acquired
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't: business strategy.
These deep dives into corporate history provide the concrete evidence needed to support the strategic growth theories proposed in Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the primary focus of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't?
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't investigates how companies that were not born with great DNA can transition from being good, mediocre, or even bad organizations into enterprises that achieve enduring greatness and sustained long-term performance.
How does Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't relate to Built to Last?
While Built to Last focused on how great companies maintain performance from their inception, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't addresses the challenge of how companies that lack that initial great DNA can transform their performance over time.
Is Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't a management study?
Yes, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't is a management study. It builds upon the concepts explored in previous research to analyze the specific factors that allow ordinary or struggling companies to achieve and maintain long-term success.
Does Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't explain how to engineer greatness?
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't explores whether sustained performance can be engineered into an enterprise. It specifically examines the process by which companies that are not inherently great can make the leap to achieve enduring success.