Welcome back everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting to the next topic, but lets get started without any further delays.
The Hedgehog Concept
In his famous essay “The Hedgehog and the Fox,” Isaiah Berlin divided the world into hedgehogs and foxes, based upon an ancient Greek parable: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” (www.JimCollins.com)
So here is how it goes.
The fox is sleek, fast, intelligent, plotting and scheming to catch the hedgehog.
The hedgehog is slow and steady with it's mind always on the goal at hand.
When the fox roles out a brand new plan for catching and eating the hedgehog, what happens? The hedgehog curls up, out come the spikes, and the fox is thwarted once again.
The Hedgehog Concept boils down to this. What is the one thing that you, your department or your company can do better than anyone else in the world? A lofty goal I know. But then again we are talking about attaining greatness not simply average or above average.
It is the intersection of three things that determines the best hedgehog concept. In the book these are referred to as the Three Circles and they go like this.
1. What you can be the best in the world at.
2. What drives your economic engine.
3. What you are deeply passionate about.
A hedgehog concept relies on the intersection of these three items. If I am the best in the world at (insert ridiculous talent here). I may be deeply passionate about it, but if it annoys everyone else on the planet, I probably will not be able to turn it into a marketable enterprise. Therefore it does not fit into the three circles and cannot be the core of a hedgehog concept.
If the passion is not present then I will not be committed and follow through.
If I cannot truly be the best in the world then I can only be good or average and it will not meet the standard for greatness.
All three traits must be in alignment for greatness. Greatness lies at the intersection of these three circles.
In the case of Kimberly Clark, as discussed in the Level 5 Leadership section, the company found that their hedgehog concept did not even lie within the industry in which they were currently engaged. So they sold the paper mills and embraced the hedgehog concept.
Here is one of the other examples from the book.
The Boeing Company
When we travel by air in the U.S., most would assume that they are flying in a Boeing built aircraft. However that was not always the case. For many years Boeing only built military planes. But, as the company grew more experienced with large aircraft, and the market for long distance travel by air grew, it became clear to Boeing that they could make the transition into the private sector and be successful.
- They had already mastered big planes with jet engines and large cargo loads.
- The market was ripe for growth and expansion.
- They had a passion for aircraft.
The three circles aligned and a giant was born. Now, commercial flights all over the world are flown in Boeing aircraft.
What is your Hedgehog Concept?
I can't tell you what your concept should be, so I will not even try. However, if you have been reading the previous posts then I think you might have an idea of how to figure it out. Let me just give you these pointers.
- Be the Level 5 Leader who asks the hard questions.
- Talk to the Highly Capable people that you know and work with. Remember that what highly capable people really want is to be part of something great.
- Face the brutal facts of what they have to say. Finding the right hedgehog concept must be addressed with honesty and an open mind.
Keep in mind that most of the good to great companies averaged 5 years to fully develop their hedgehog concept. The reality is that it will not happen overnight, or in a weekend corporate retreat.
A hedgehog concept will only develop if there is a commitment to greatness by those involved. If someone is not committed to greatness it is time for them to get off the bus completely or change seats to become a follower and not a leader.
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