How the Mighty Fall

This morning I started reading Jim Collins' 2009 book "How the Mighty Fall...and Why Some Companies Never Give In." This is one of the leadership books that I'm reading during this year in the U.S.

It's about 5 stages of decline of organizations. They are:
1. Hubris born of success
2. Undisciplined pursuit of more
3. Denial of risk & peril
4. Grasping for salvation
5. Capitulation to irrelevance & death

I'm particularly interested in learning about principles that might apply to chu7rches & organizations. I've seen some formerly strong groups like these really go into a tailspin.

Collins proposes that in the early stages, decline is harder to detect, yet easier to turn around. In the later stages, it's easier (and sometimes blatantly) to detect, yet harder to turn around.

I'm a big fan of the University of Michigan Wolverine football. For most of my lifetime, at least from 1969-2007, the Wolverines fielded excellent teams under 3 different coaches: Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller & Lloyd Carr. During the last several years under Carr, it appears that recruiting suffered.

But during the last 3 seasons, under "outsider" coach Rich Rodriguez, the program has greatly suffered. It appears that he is about to be released by new Athletic Director David Brandt. However, the whole situation has been poorly handled this past month and no one seems to know for sure who the new coach will be.

It's strange to see a former icon of football success struggle so much recently. Perhaps some of these 5 stages of decline apply to Michigan football as well.