How the Mighty Fall

How the Mighty Fall argues that organizational collapse usually follows a recognizable pattern rather than a random accident. Companies often begin by confusing past success with permanent superiority, then chase reckless growth, then deny early evidence of trouble, then swing wildly in search of a savior, and finally give up—either because the organization loses faith or because it has burned the resources required to recover.

Collins’s practical message is that long-term survival comes from the opposite behaviors: humility instead of arrogance, focused strength instead of scattered expansion, clear-eyed truth instead of wishful interpretation, disciplined action instead of frantic pivots, and resilience-building instead of high-stakes gambles. Turnarounds don’t require magic. They require adults in key seats, a return to the company’s true strengths, and a calm commitment to doing the basics well for long enough that momentum returns.

Jim Collins is a business researcher, adviser, and bestselling author known for studying what differentiates enduring organizations from those that fade. His books include Built to Last, Good to Great, and Great by Choice. How the Mighty Fall (published in 2009) focuses specifically on the anatomy of corporate decline and the disciplined behaviors that help organizations recover and endure.