“I was an overnight success all right, but 30 years is a long, long night.” Ray Kroc
“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” Steve Jobs
“There are no quick wins in business – it takes years to become an overnight success.” Richard Branson
Imagine a group of people pushing on a giant stone flywheel. At first the massive heavy wheel will barely turn. With each continuous push it moves a little more, and a little more, then a little more. Even though it seems like their efforts are meaningless they keep pushing. Just when they think it is hopeless, the flywheel reaches a magical moment. Once they reach “break through”, the momentum of the heavy flywheel begins to work in their favor. Once break through speed is achieved, it starts to spin so fast that it becomes hard to keep up with.
Many of the Good to Great companies look like an instant success to the outside, but the real evolution is organic and cumulative. It is a consistent, deliberate process that never happens in one fell swoop. Sustainable transformation follows a consistent pattern. Coach John Wooden, the winningest coach in NCAA history, coached at UCLA for 15 years before his first national championship. Year by year he built the system and refined the full court press style of playing. Push by push, the wheel kept turning. After 15 years of pushing, UCLA went on a winning streak that is unmatched to this day. Similar to the Wooden dynasty, the Good to Great companies all have a build up stage and then an eventual break through.
Regardless of what phase your team, or your company is in, don’t buy into the myth of the “Overnight Success”. Because it is just that...a myth. Rather, learn the principles of the flywheel and keep pushing until you break through!