Author / Researcher

Jim Collins

Business researcher and author. Known for Good to Great, Built to Last, and the matched-pair methodology. His 2026 book What to Make of a Life applies his research framework to individual lives — introducing cliff events, encodings, fire shifts, and return on luck.

Known For

Good to GreatMatched-pair research methodologyCliff eventsEncodings vs. strengthsReturn on luckFire shiftFog-clarity inversion

Canon

Biographies as Substitute Mentors

Cliff Events Reveal Who You Really Are

Cliffs and Fog: How Life's Sudden Transitions and Uncertainties Reveal Character

Encodings vs. Strengths

The Fire Shift — From Red to Green

The Fog-Clarity Inversion

Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness

Close Relationships Are the Strongest Predictor of Life Satisfaction

Focus Only on What You Can Control

Books

■Built to Last(1994)

■Good to Great(2001)

■How the Mighty Fall(2009)

■Great by Choice(2011)

■What to Make of a Life(2026)

Episodes

#Author Jim Collins on unlocking your potentialJul 23, 2026 #A Map for Finding Direction and Purpose in Life (Again and Again)Apr 28, 2026 #What To Do When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned | Jim CollinsApr 11, 2026 #If You're Lost, You're Asking the Wrong QuestionApr 9, 2026 #856Jim Collins — What to Make of a Life and How to Maximize Your Return on LuckMar 5, 2026