"The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." Archilochus of Paros

Hedgehogs have a single grand idea that they apply to everything, while foxes come up with a new idea for every situation.

As per the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, here are the 3 key principles of The Hedgehog Concept:

Foxes are known to be clever, sly animals but they have way too many different strategies to get what they want. They pursue a range of goals in one go. Hedgehog on the other hand, have one goal in mind and they strive to do it well!

Most people initially favor the Fox, cunning and skillful, but this can have a negative effect on what you are trying to achieve in the long run. You are more likely to be scattered and inconsistent in your work. Hedgehogs are more likely to be winners. They focus on what they are good at and do it well!

Transformations from “good to great” come by a series of good decisions made consistently with a Hedgehog Concept, supremely well executed, accumulating one upon another, over a long period of time.

Think about your company, career, or even life in general, are you a fox or a hedgehog? Do you jump from one idea to the next to achieve a goal? Are you consistent with what you want and work hard on that alone?