Able Quote by Kevin Kelly
“Preserve the core, and let the rest flux. In their wonderful bestseller Built to Last, authors James Collins and Jerry Porras make a convincing argument that long-lived companies are able to thrive 50 years or more by retaining a very small heart of unchanging values, and then stimulating progress in everything else. At times "everything" includes changing the business the company operates in, migrating, say, from mining to insurance. Outside the core of values, nothing should be exempt from flux. Nothing.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Built to Last by James Collins and Jerry Porras, 1994
Enduring organizations keep a core set of immutable values while allowing everything else to evolve with changing circumstances.
In simple terms: Core values stay, everything else changes.
Key Takeaway
Identify and protect your core principles.
Themes
leadership
strategy
change management
Mood
inspirational
pragmatic
Type
advisory
strategic
When to use this quote
- business transformation
- product development
- cultural change
- personal growth
Key Concepts
core‑periphery model
organizational resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- What is your organization’s core?
- How flexible should the periphery be?
A Different Perspective
Rigid adherence to core can stifle necessary innovation.
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