With every season of growth comes a wave of new opportunities. The key is knowing which ones truly align with your mission.
Jim Collins’ Hedgehog Concept, first introduced in Good to Great, offers a timeless, clarifying framework. Inspired by an old Greek parable—“The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing”—rather than chasing every opportunity, this concept helps leaders to build with intention.
While the fox dashes from tactic to tactic, the hedgehog survives and thrives by doing one thing exceptionally well: rolling into a ball of spikes no predator wants to challenge.
The Three Questions That Define Strategic Clarity
For leaders committed to building organizations that last, Collins poses three questions that guide your “hedgehog” focus:
What can you be the best in the world at?
Not just what you’re good at—but where you can lead your industry with unmistakable authority.What drives your economic engine?
The key financial metric or model that fuels your organization’s long-term sustainability and scale.What are you deeply passionate about?
The work that stirs your soul—the mission that energizes your team and aligns with the legacy you’re building.
Where these three circles overlap, you find your Hedgehog Concept: the core of your strategy, the heart of your identity, and the engine of enduring impact.
Focus is a Leadership Advantage
We often remind our clients that the most successful leaders build from a place of clarity. The Hedgehog Concept isn’t just a strategy tool—it’s a mindset. One that helps you simplify complexity, align your team, and accelerate toward your vision with conviction.
As your organization continues to scale, revisit your Hedgehog. Make the choice to focus. And trust that doing so will bring both short-term momentum and long-term legacy.