Twenty years ago, I read Good to Great, and it changed how I understand excellence. The specifics faded over time. But the ideas stayed. They stayed because they were simple. They stayed because they were powerful. And they stayed because they were true.
Collins’ research distilled greatness into seven principles.
- Level 5 Leadership: Humility paired with fierce resolve
- First Who, Then What: Get the right people on the bus before deciding where to drive it
- Confront the Brutal Facts: Face reality while retaining faith in the future
- The Hedgehog Concept: Do what you can be the best at, what drives your engine, and what awakens passion
- Culture of Discipline: Consistency over chaos
- Technology as an Accelerator: Technology amplifies momentum but does not create it
- The Flywheel Effect: Small, steady actions create unstoppable motion
Good ideas.
Important ideas.
But last week, something shifted.
I picked up the companion monograph Good to Great and the Social Sectors. And suddenly, everything clicked. The universe has its timing. You discover a book exactly when you are ready for it. And this one arrived right as the Aerozone Alliance stands on the edge of something big.
Very big.
Our Federally EDA Funded Study conducted by Fourth Economy study has validated what many of us sensed (conclusions). The Aerozone is becoming one of the most strategically important innovation districts in Ohio. It is a place where aerospace, energy, advanced manufacturing, aviation, and space research collide with real estate development and workforce opportunity.
And just look at what is happening around us.
- NASA Glenn secured the Surface Fission Power Program.
- Cleveland Hopkins is launching its new terminal redevelopment.
- The Browns are shaping a new stadium campus.
- New technologies are exploding in energy, materials, communication, quantum, and propulsion.
Momentum is building.
You can feel it.
But I kept coming back to one question.
A larger question.
A daring question.
What does a Greater Cleveland look like?
Not simply better. Not slightly improved. But greater.
And that is when Collins’ social-sector framework illuminated the path. Greatness is not only for businesses. Greatness is for communities. For coalitions. For movements.
And one of the clearest examples of this movement, already underway, is our Aerozone Talent Project.
What is the ATP
Let me say it plainly.
ATP is the spark.
It is the energy behind our engine.
It stands for Aerozone Talent Project.
But internally, we have started calling it something else.
A Talent Powerhouse. A Thriving Pipeline. All Together Possible.
ATP is a coalition, a strategy, and a rallying cry.
It is where Good to Great meets boots on the ground.
It is how we build the workforce that will power Cleveland’s aerospace future.
Applying Good to Great to the ATP
Here is how the seven principles come alive through this initiative.
- Greatness is defined by impact: The ATP asks one core question: Are we building the talent engine that will allow our region to lead the aerospace economy of the future
- Level 5 Leadership matters even more: This is leadership through collaboration, trust, and persuasion; No single institution owns this work; Every partner carries the mission
- First Who, Then What: We began by bringing the right organizations to the table
Our partners include: Nanci Coleman, Cuyahoga Community College; Dr. Richard Schoephoerster, Cleveland State University; Mario Codispoti, Lorain County Joint Vocational School; Ian Marks, Greater Cleveland Works; Brandon Anderson, ThreeScore Agency
Early employer partners: Momentive Technologies, Voyager Space, Frontier Airlines, Corporate Wings - Confront the brutal facts: We face our talent gaps honestly. We acknowledge shortages in engineering, aviation maintenance, advanced manufacturing, and energy systems. And still, we believe in our capacity to grow, adapt, and lead
- Mission clarity becomes the Hedgehog Concept: We have three intersecting centers of gravity
Passion: building a world class aerospace talent pipeline
Excellence: coordinating education and industry uniquely within an innovation district
Sustainability: long term investment, employer demand, and multi sector partnerships - A culture of discipline replaces bureaucracy: The ATP is structured but flexible; Clear coordination without clutter; Freedom within a shared framework
- The Flywheel in motion
Early wins have already created visible momentum
Every meeting
Every partner added
Every employer engaged
Every curriculum aligned
The flywheel spins faster
What We Will Measure
Because movement needs metrics.
Activity Metrics
- Number of employers onboarded
- Number of job postings updated
- Number of candidates identified through partner mapping
- Number of candidate referrals
- Number of employer check ins completed
- Number of student visits, events, and job fairs held
Outcome Metrics
- Total hires generated through the collaborative
- Retention at thirty sixty and ninety day intervals
- Employer satisfaction scores
- Number of employers participating in Earn and Learn or student engagement activities
- Growth in student interest in aerospace pathways
- Workforce funding accessed by employers
These numbers tell a story.
A story of a region preparing to rise.
Where It All Comes Together
The ATP is not just a workforce initiative.
It is proof that Cleveland can move from good to great.
It shows that our institutions can collaborate.
That we can align behind a shared vision.
That we can execute with discipline and purpose.
All of this connects directly to our Aerozone 2026 Strategic Plan, which lays out clear goals for job creation, business attraction, real estate development, and innovation capacity.
It is the operating system for our flywheel.
We are at the cusp.
We have the partners.
We have the vision.
We have the momentum.
And now, we have the framework to guide us forward.
What do you think…is Greatness within our reach?!
(Join the movement; email or call me: hmahalaha@aerozonealliance.org, Mobile: 217.272.7655)
Hrishue Mahalaha
Executive Director
Aerozone Alliance
