The book basically talks about visionary companies deviating from most books which are written on charismatic leadership and visionary products. Visionary companies are institutions in industry having a separate standing in terms of admiration and impact on world around them. All visionary products as well as visionary charismatic leaders have to die, it is actually company that last long through multiple products and leaders. In six year of research Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras have identified historical development of visionary companies. Along with they have selected control set of comparison companies. The visionary companies are different from enduring or successful companies. These are of the best have been best for decades. The Comparison in Research Study Visionary companies | Comparison companies | 3M | Norton | American Express | Wells Fargo | Boeing | McDonnell Douglas | Citi Corp | Chase Manhattan | Ford | GM | General Electric | Westinghouse | Hewlett Packard | Texas Instrument | IBM | Burroughs | Johnson & Johnson | Bristol-Myers Squibb | Marriott | Howard Johnson | Merck | Pfizer | Motorola | Zenith | Nordstrom | Melville | Philip Morris | RJR Nabisco | Procter & Gamble | Colgate | Sony | Kenwood | Wal- Mart | Ames | Walt Disney | Columbia |
Almost all of the visionary companies were in financial crisis from the start. But later they have returned more than financial by attaching themselves in the society.
In this research they have tried to identity underlying characteristics and dynamic s of visionary companies and tried to communicate its findings and concepts. The companies for research study were selected on the bases of survey filled by CEOs of various companies. Selecting Comparison Company was a difficult job and they selected companies of similar start in life, similar funding products and markets and not a dog company. Historic analysis was preferred because it provided an insight,