Jim Collins

Jim Collins

Management Educator; Bestselling Author 

Jim Collins is a student and teacher of exceptional human endeavor and a Socratic advisor to leaders across all sectors. Having invested more than three decades in rigorous research, he has authored or coauthored books that have sold more than 11 million copies, including the #1 bestseller “Good to Great” and the enduring classic “Built to Last.” His newest book, available April 2026, tackles the big question implicit in its title: “What to Make of a Life.”  

In 1995, Collins founded a management laboratory where he conducts research and engages with CEOs and senior leadership teams. Concepts that emerged from his earlier work have become part of the leadership lexicon, such as Level 5 Leadership, the right people on the bus, the Hedgehog Concept, the Flywheel and Big Hairy Audacious Goals. In 2017, Forbes selected him as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.

What to Make of a Life

At some point every life encounters cliffs — moments when something ends, unravels or changes course without warning. Success can give way to scandal. Purpose can stall. Clarity can dissolve into fog. And in those disorienting seasons, the question becomes deeply personal: What do you make of this life now? Join Jim Collins as he shares what he uncovered through a decade-long research project exploring how lives are built, fractured and rebuilt through inevitable turning points. Studying remarkable lives at critical inflection points, he reveals how you can reignite the inner fire and build renewed momentum across a lifetime. You’ll gain a framework for navigating fog, overcoming fracture points and discovering a role you are uniquely encoded to fulfill — even if you must find one more than once. Leave with practical wisdom to rebuild after setbacks, sustain purpose and shape a life that remains creative, resilient and deeply fulfilling over its long arc.