Most companies never become truly great, mainly because they settle for being good enough and stop pushing further.

• A five-year research study compared companies that jumped from average results to great, lasting results, against similar companies that didn't.
• The companies that became great didn't rely on famous outside leaders, big mergers, or new technology as the main cause.
• Being "good" often removes the pressure and urgency needed to become "great."
• The findings point to a repeatable pattern, not luck, behind the jump from good to great.