What practices do the Dallas Police Department employ to make its city safer? Could these same principles be responsible for Southwest Airlines outperforming its competitors Delta, American and United? And, how are efforts to curb the high-school dropout rate in Arizona connected to Starbucks' gamble in China – the land of a billion tea lovers?

In Good to Great, a fascinating documentary, business guru Jim Collins provides the answers. Based on his bestselling book of the same name, the program is a revealing look into the guiding principles and practices of six business and social-sector organizations. Despite the diverse challenges of their respective industries, each organization’s bold leaders and empowered employees together have achieved extraordinary success. Out of their stories emerges the answer to Collins’ five-year quest to uncover "What makes good...great?"

During the one-hour special, airing Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 at 9 p.m. on Eight/KAET-TV, the charismatic and knowledgeable Collins investigates the keys to enduring success. (Also airs Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007 at 2 p.m.)

Collins opens with a discussion of Southwest Airlines' success within an intensely competitive industry. He singles out Southwest's high-spirited culture and focus as the reason for its ascension to the position of America's largest and most profitable airline.

The producers received unprecedented access to a meeting between Southwest’s CEO and his 2,500 employees, providing an insider's view of the company’s culture, its core values, its perception of competitive threats and its leadership.

The next segment details how Principal Julie Peach of Alice Byrne Elementary School in Yuma used Good to Great principles to increase the percentage of third-grade students reading at grade level from 40% to nearly 100%. Hers is one of 12 excelling mostly Latino, mostly underserved schools documented in the report "Why Some Schools with Latino Children Beat the Odds…and Others Don’t." The research report was issued by the Center for the Future of Arizona and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University.

Collins actively collaborated in the Beat the Odds research, which used his matched pairs methodology to compare mostly Latino, mostly underserved Arizona elementary and middle schools whose students had consistently high or steadily rising math and reading scores against seemingly identical schools that struggled or lost ground.

Good to Great then visits Dallas to uncover how Collins' principles have helped the police department significantly reduce the crime rate. The mayor, newspaper editor, police chief and others comment on the application of so-called “principles of greatness” to government. The segment includes rare footage of the department’s daily "Command Meeting," in which officers discuss the previous day’s crime activity.

Next, brief profiles of three "Level 5" leaders, along with short pieces on Walgreens and Amgen, illuminate Collins’ principles in action.

The final segment charts Starbucks’ growth over the last 20 years, illustrating Collins' concepts of "flywheel" and "core values." Remarkable footage of the company's expansion in China — from the chairman reviewing the new product line to baristas-in-training — shed light on Starbucks’ approach to expanding its coffee business.

Jim Collins is one of America’s foremost business gurus. He has authored or co-authored four books, including the classic Built to Last, a fixture on the Business Week bestseller list for more than six years. The New York Times bestseller, GOOD TO GREAT: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don't, is Amazon.com's 7th most popular book of the decade, ranking behind three Harry Potter books, The DaVinci Code, America and The South Beach Diet.

The Center for the Future of Arizona is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Arizonans. Dr. Lattie Coor is chairman and CEO of the Phoenix-based nonprofit. Coor is past president of Arizona State University. For more information about the center or the Beat the Odds research, visit www.arizonafuture.org.

Morrison Institute for Public Policy is an Arizona State University resource for objective public policy research and analysis. A part of the School of Public Affairs (College of Public Programs), Morrison Institute brings university scholarship and public policy development together for the benefit of all Arizonans. Visit www.morrisoninstitute.org to view and access Morrison Institute publications.