Good to Great #4: The Hedgehog Concept
In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins discovers that great companies from his study all had a similar approach to their business, an approach that lead them to greatness. Collins calls this approach the Hedgehog concept. The idea is that hedgehogs are focused and diligent in their activities, unlike foxes that chase shiny objects and are easily distracted. While I believe there is a better comparison than a hedgehog and a fox, it’s what Collins used to describe the success of these businesses.
The hedgehog concept boils down to this: in order to be successful, organizations must focus their resources, energy, and time on one specific area, one activity or product, and do it extremely well. You can’t be scatter brained and try to have your hand in multiple “pies” or fields of work...
