This Is the Book I Reread Every December

Hi there, friend—

Every December since 2021, I’ve reread the same book.
Not out of routine — but because it recalibrates something in me.
It brings me back to the kind of builder I want to be.

The book is BE 2.0 by Jim Collins.

Not hacks. Not hypergrowth.
Just humility, discipline, and a blueprint built for the long haul.

Collins is the gold standard when it comes to building institutions that last. His work doesn’t chase trends. It returns us to principles.

Here are three big takeaways that keep shaping the way I lead and build:

1. Spirit beyond profit

“The basic philosophy, spirit, and drive of an organization have far more to do with its achievements than resources, structure, innovation, and timing.”

So much of leadership advice is tactical — but Collins reminds us: tactics don’t matter if the foundation isn’t right.

The spirit of a company is what endures.
It’s what magnetizes the right people.
It’s what transforms a job into a calling.

Building with brick isn’t just a strategy.
It’s counter-positioning in a world obsessed with speed and scale.
And it’s our greatest competitive advantage: meaning.

2. Level 5 leadership: humility with professional will

 “Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what must be done.”

There are a thousand definitions of leadership.
This is one of the few that sticks.

The most powerful leaders I’ve met aren’t loud or flashy.
They’re humble. Focused. Principled.
They don’t need credit.
They need progress.

As Harry Truman said: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

That’s stewardship, not ego.

3. First Who, Then What

“Take our 20 best people away and I tell you that Microsoft would become an unimportant company.”

People first — always.
Strategy matters. But people are the strategy.

The best organizations aren’t obsessed with outputs.
They’re obsessed with inputs: values, trust, clarity, talent.
That’s how you build something that lasts.

Growth, when done right, isn’t about shareholder returns.
It’s about stewarding the kind of place the best people never want to leave.

BE 2.0 is generous in its wisdom — but make no mistake: this book is for brick builders.
It asks more of us. It offers more in return.

I’ll be returning to it again next December.
And every December after that.

If you’re committed to building something that lasts, start here.
Start with the blueprint.

Onward,
Matt