In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins begins with the challenge: Good is the enemy of great. In working with many companies over the years, I recognize that to be true. I have also found that real success often comes from having all the following pieces of the puzzle in place. And I do mean all the pieces, even just one missing piece can mean a company will fall short of its goals.

The owner of the Company provides Inspiring Leadership. Show me a successful company and I'll show you an owner with a mission. Strong leadership is the first ingredient for success and the motor that drives all the other pieces of the puzzle into place. Leaders who've overcome adversity, persevered through hard times and emerged positive, strong and humble are the very templates of success. An inspiring leader does not function in an autonomous vacuum but rather engages and surrounds her/himself with a team of managers that serve to inculcate the organization with the same inspiring mission.

The Company has a Strong Organizational Structure. From that inspiring leadership comes the backbone necessary to implant a strong organizational structure. Strong does not mean inflexible. It simply means that everyone understands his job, there are accountability systems in place, and behavior and results are tracked to ensure success. Often a strong structure gives people the freedom to perform without the insecurities associated with wishy washy rules and blurred lines of authority.

Team Development is a top priority at every level. Within successful companies is the profound belief that their biggest assets go home to their families every night. Investments in bricks and mortar, technology or product development pale when compared to the return on investment realized from developing people. An interest in the future well being of an employee is the best insurance against losing your braintrust.

The Company has Superior Financial Management which makes it consistently healthy and profitable. There is no substitute for being in control of expenses and income. Many good companies have disappeared from the radar screen because of two little words: cash flow. Part of success is living to work another day and it takes an attitude of planning and control to help make that happen.

Marketing is disciplined, planned and effective. The marketing function focuses the company's resources, resulting in the development and delivery of the correct products and services. Further, marketing ensures that this delivery takes place at prices that are profitable and in a manner that is consistent with the expectations created by the various channels to market the firm utilizes to attract, develop and maintain clients or customers.

The Company uses a Professional Selling System and has developed effective salespeople. You can sing the praises of engineers, lawyers and accountants, but the people in business who really drive the economy are sales professionals. If no one is selling, the rest of it just doesn't matter does it? Developing an effective sales team, the frontline offense of a company, is a crucial part of the success puzzle.

Production is Efficient, timely, cost-effective and service oriented. This sounds like a no-brainer piece of the puzzle, but successful companies have had to be deliberate and focused on making this piece happen. Just as we hold salespeople accountable to their behaviors, goals and results, it is imperative that production standards and results be just as accountable. You may be fast but if the job is executed poorly, your former customer will remember and tell others.

The most successful companies fit together these puzzle pieces into a seamless picture of customer satisfaction and delight that has at its core the drive to excel and the desire to respond quickly to the ever changing market.

In the words of actor Johnny Depp, "Total satisfaction with your skills is death for your professional life."