Jim Collins’ Hedgehog concept was inspired by philosopher Isaiah Berlin’s essay called “The Hedgehog and the Fox”, in which he described the difference in how the two creatures think:
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- Foxes are lovers of complexity and many moving parts.
Fox leaders have all kinds of ideas to improve a business or drive sales. But when they try three or four of them at the same time – even if the ideas have elements of brilliance – they burn a lot of energy to put on a show which creates chaos and distraction.
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- Hedgehogs thrive on making the complex simple and stick to fundamental ideas.
Hedgehog leaders pick one thing and do it well, consistently and reliably – again, again and again.
While one isn’t inherently better than the other, in the world of leadership, says Collins, hedgehogs usually win.
And when you apply your creativity to hedgehog thinking – be more ‘hedgehoggy’, as an executive recently said – you’ll strengthen what you already do well.
Three Simple Ideas
Collins’ research shows that when leaders stay clear and focused on three simple ideas, they’re much more likely to be successful:
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- What they can be the best in the world at, even though it might not yet be true
- What drives their economic engine – usually it’s a profit or a gross profit per key business unit
- What they are passionate about.
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Hedgehog thinking has come up in recent conversations:
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- In an interview with Push Operations’ CEO Tina Lum found here.
- With a CEO of multiple companies who believes in ‘staying in your lane”. Whenever his people approach him to vertically integrate the business or move into an adjacent industry, he consistently advocates for sticking with the one thing the company is really good at.
They were established, had skills and capabilities, and had proven themselves in a certain space, so there were many opportunities to scale within their lane. He knew from experience that, if they tried to do something different, the failure rate would be very high.
If you’re a masterful retailer, don’t become a manufacturer. If you’re a masterful manufacturer, don’t become a creator of raw materials.
Now, you could argue that you should always try new things, but you have to be very, very careful.
Better to just double down on what you’re already doing well to become even better.
The Challenge
- How clear is your Hedgehog principle?
- In what area of your business could you or your team become more ‘hedgehoggy’?
Other Blogs
- Getting Bigger & Better with True Growth
- If It Doesn’t Drive Your Flywheel, Just Say No
- Profit or Culture First?
Older Podcasts
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