What to Make of a Life

Jim Collins is a student and teacher of exceptional human endeavor and a Socratic advisor to leaders across all sectors of society.

Having invested more than three decades in rigorous research, he has authored or coauthored a series of books that have sold in total more than 11 million copies worldwide, including the #1 bestseller Good to Great, the enduring classic Built to Last, and other highly-influential writings such as Great by Choice, How the Mighty Fall, Beyond Entrepreneurship, Good to Great and the Social Sectors, and Turning the Flywheel.

In recent years, Jim has broadened the scope of his work, extending out from the question of what makes great companies tick to the study of remarkable people and their lives. His newest book (available April 2026) tackles the big question implicit in its title: What to Make of a Life. Grounded in a ten-year research project, it offers transformative lessons on constructing—and reconstructing—a life through the cliff moments and transitions we all will face repeatedly in our lives.

Through his research, Jim seeks to uncover timeless principles on which people can reliably depend. Concepts that emerged from Jim’s earlier work have become part of the leadership lexicon, such as: Level 5 leadership, First Who (the right people on the bus), the Hedgehog Concept, the Flywheel, 20 Mile March, Preserve the Core/Stimulate Progress, and BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). His writings and teachings have had a lasting impact and proved integral to the building of many great organizations.

Driven by a relentless curiosity, Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research and engages with CEOs and senior-leadership teams.

Jim has a passion for learning and teaching in the social sectors, including education, healthcare, government, faith-based organizations, social ventures, and cause-driven nonprofits. In 2012 and 2013, he had the honor to serve a two-year appointment as the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences and an MBA from Stanford University, and honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado and the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. In 2017, Forbes selected Jim as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.