The stockdale paradox is one of the books most explicit discussions of goodtogreat companies duality. Jim collins starts describing the hedgehog concept by talking about. The 7 steps to a goodtogreat content marketing strategy. In continuing with the current theme of good to great, i would now like to explore the idea that jim collins put forth which he dubbed the hedgehog concept what is the hedgehog concept. In relation to all the other areas level 5 leadership, first who then what, confront the brutal facts we have talked about so far, this idea is. In this post, im going to discuss the hedgehog concept and why it is important for tech companies to keep operating with a simple framework to win. From jim collins book good to great, the hedgehog concept helps your. It focuses on how companies change and evolve, and presents strategies to ensure that your company. The hedgehog concept was first introduced in the book good to great, by jim collins. Jul, 20 how to use the hedgehog concept to compete with massive competitors 47 july, 20 9 minute read posted by amin. Why those who do frequent restructuring fail to make the leap.
Order good to great from amazon the original hedgehog concept came from an essay by isaiah berlin in which he talks about leo tolstoys theory of history. What are the key takeaways from the book good to great by. It sees the world in all its complexity and can pursue many goals at once. How goodtogreat companies think differently about technology. Here are links to part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5. What are the key takeaways from the book good to great by jim. Good to great might be the most celebrated business book of the twentyfirst century perhaps even of all time.
I spent an hour or so last night flipping through and rereading parts of good to great by jim collins, the popular classic business book about the qualities that make companies successful. To transition from good to great, companies should focus on doing one thing better than anyone else in the world. From jim collins book good to great, the hedgehog concept helps your organization focus on three main areas. In this update ill be covering chapters 7 and 8 from the book. Good to great is probably a pipe dream for most big companies the entrenched egos are too giant to shift. The hedgehog concept can be summed up in a single word. All good to great companies have a hedgehog concept.
First, the goodtogreat companies founded their strategies on deep understanding along three key dimensionswhat we came to call the three circles. That said, i got so many recommendations to read jim collins book, good to great, that i couldnt resist. Good to great by jim collins posted on march 8, 2012 by liz stinson some quick notes on some of my main takeaways not necessarily the full set of key points, rather the ones that spoke to me from jim collins great book good to great. Jim collins concepts the hedgehog concept good to great.
Some found it hard to develop, but no matter how awful they were at the start of the process, they all prevailed in the search for a hedgehog concept. The example of stockdales own life is a particularly dramatic one, but its extremity makes it an especially good illustration of collinss point. In the journey from good to great, defining your hedgehog concept is an essential element. Even if customers really push us to have a feature that doesnt pass this. Why some companies make the leapand others dont, by jim collins. It focuses on how companies change and evolve, and presents strategies to ensure that your company makes the leap to success correctly. How good to great companies think differently about technology. This single function will become the organizations hedgehog concept. And you can get the hell over yourself and start getting obsessed about helping people. Rather, great organizations are doggedly disciplined around what collins terms a hedgehog concept the singular intersection of what an organization is passionate about, what an organization can be best in the world at, and the economic engine of an organization. The concept being the most important in my opinion was having upper management to be brutally honest.
Good to great by jim collins kens notes summary ken. Mar 09, 2015 good to great might be the most celebrated business book of the twentyfirst century perhaps even of all time. To explain this concept lets look at the difference between a fox and a hedgehog. He then asked if i got anything from it that i could apply to business, or a technique for the real world, from it. In reality you may find that looking at your hedgehog concept and particularly what you are deeply passionate about that your core purpose or mission needs to be reexamined. It may be that technology is simply being used to leverage your approach toward your hedgehog concept. Good to great a presonal retrospection oracle pat shuffs. Jun 25, 2017 the flywheel diagram is a great summary of good to great and a good highlevel framework for thinking about business leadership.
A simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of three circles. The hedgehog concept is developed in the book good to great. Looking back, i think the concepts in this book helped to prepare me for other business books later on, especially books that had very prescriptive frameworks with instructions on installing an operating system. Why some companies make the leap and others dont is a management book by jim collins. This is jim collins strategy framework introduced in his book goodtogreat. The monograph addresses five issues that social sector leaders often face. In good to great collins notes that it took four years on average for the good to great companies to get a hedgehog concept. Second, the goodtogreat companies translated that understanding into a simple, crystalline concept that guided all their effortshence the term hedgehog concept. The next principle of good to great companies is the hedgehog concept. When confronted by predators, the hedgehogs instinct is to curl up into a protective ball. The pretext of this book is how do you take a good company and make it great.
For example, before wells fargo understood its hedgehog concept, its leaders had tried to. The clients that fit within our hedgehog concept are very happy. Circuit city, another good to great, doesnt even exist anymore, at least by name and as a bricknmortar store. A hedgehog concept is a simple concept in response to the complex facts of reality. This single response is simple and works as a response to any attack. For those of you already familiar with good to great, certainly the hedgehog concept is perhaps the easiest to remember. The company finds its successful strategy, called its hedgehog concept, at the intersection where all three of these questions are satisfied. In a software as a service saas business, it could be customer. All concepts summarised in this presentation belong to the author of the book. Collins that can help anyone in the business world to turn their company or organization from a good one to a great one. Jul 01, 2016 the greatest companies in the world have all found what jim collins refers to as the hedgehog concept in his timeless classic from good to great. Good to great by jim collins book summary oberlo blog.
Before he wrote good to great, collins spent six years researching and compiling his other bestselling book, built to last. Here are some of the learnings i will be taking away from this book. Second, the goodtogreat companies translated that understanding into a simple, crystalline concept that guided. This is part five of a multipart blog, sharing my thoughts on the book good to great by jim collins. Collins goes on to state that the people who led goodtogreat companies were all hedgehogs in one way or another, who developed clear, concise hedgehog concepts to guide their decisions. The summary in the answer by yi can give you the salient points.
Can we as teachers or schools succeed without a hedgehog concept. Before he wrote good to great, collins spent six years researching. Good book, shows great examples of what it takes for some companies to be sustainable powerhouses. Fannie mae, praised as one of the banks to go good to great, has fallen into the trash heap since 2008 and has never recovered. The theories given help the companies to be successful in their business. Good to great has to rate in the top five of the many business books i have read and digested in my career. The book good to great by jim collins, was hiding at my library for almost a decade. In relation to all the other areas level 5 leadership, first who then what, confront the brutal facts we have talked about so far, this idea is the most pivotal to becoming great. The greatest companies in the world have all found what jim collins refers to as the hedgehog concept in his timeless classic from good to great. Apr 29, 2008 for those of you already familiar with good to great, certainly the hedgehog concept is perhaps the easiest to remember. After a fiveyear research project, jim collins concludes that good to great can and does happen. The hedgehog concept comes for the old greek parable about a hedgehog and a fox which states the following.
In his new book mr collins examines 11 of the 60 great companies studied in his two earlier books that have since deteriorated to mediocrity or worse. Your hedgehog concept may not have anything to do with technology once you really get to the heart of it. But insight and understanding dont happen overnightor after one offsite. In short, this book does a good job of providing a cohesive.
All good to great gtg companies had a level 5 leader level 5 leaders consistently exhibit humility, modesty and an ability to reign in their ego. Revisiting good to great and the stop doing list peter kang. Not only is it a great read, but there is data to back up all the research and help the reader draw comparisons between what is a good business and what is a great business. Your company should be here disciplined thought relook your companys denominators to gain understanding of your economic. Hedgehog concept in the business sectors good to great. Mar 09, 2020 there are no quick fixes, and just like the adage goes, good things come to those who wait and who vigorously pursue their hedgehog concept. A friend recently asked me what the top three, most influential, business books i have read are. How to use the hedgehog concept to compete with massive. Let me just preface this post by saying that i hate management books and business theory books and nearly everything that starts with the phrase the seven habits of highly.
The book shares a great example of this with walgreens. Customers who viewed this item also viewed these digital items. Finding your three circles, to transcend the curse of competence. Its interesting to note the difference that jim collins identifies in. Rather, great organizations are doggedly disciplined around what collins terms a hedgehog concept the singular. In this book, he uncovers the underlying variables that enable any type of organisation to make the leap from good to great while other organisations remain only good. Aug 19, 2008 the three key things that i got from this book are different levels of leadership hedgehog concept single focus todo vs stop doing list. But, finding it means that my work is much more fulfilling and i hope that asking the question might help you find your hedgehog concept as well. Technology accelerators team 1 crawl, walk, then run companies should respond to new technologies by first crawling, then. Nov 02, 2001 good to great has to rate in the top five of the many business books i have read and digested in my career.
When you figure it out it just seems right, it is not some startling revelation. Great ways to think of how businesses should be run and cultures. Key words strategy, level 5 leadership, culture of discipline, the hedgehog concept, corporate culture, packards law, the stockdale paradox summary this book is considered as one of the most important management books of the 1990s and has been in the best seller list ever since then. Transformations from good to great come about 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. The three key things that i got from this book are different levels of leadership hedgehog concept single focus todo vs stop doing list. Aug 23, 20 in short, the question goes back to your companys hedgehog concept. It was an inherently iterative processconsisting of piercing. This is a kens notes summary of the book good to great by jim collins, it is a compelling 10 year research study to find companies who were good for at least fifteen years, then something happened to make them great biggest takeaways. He gives the example of walgreens ceo cork walgreen, who viewed the mission of his company in one concise statement. Why some companies make the leap and others dont is a book that focuses on the concepts which when followed can make a mere good company, a great one. When i first read the book, i thought jim collins beautifully presented his case studies, and i was quite taken by all. These are pretty open questions and i dont pretend to have the answers to them. A simple, crystalline concept that flows from deep understanding about the intersection of three.
Hedgehog concept great companies figured out 1 what they could be the best in the world at. To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence. This is a kens notes summary of the book good to great by jim collins, it is a compelling 10 year research study to find companies who were good for at least fifteen years, then something happened to make them great. Companies that make the change from good to great have no name for their. The fourth step of going from good to great is the hedgehog concept. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read good to great. It lays out three separate questions for an organisation to ask itself. When confronted by predators, the hedgehog s instinct is to curl up into a protective ball. On average, it took four years for the goodtogreat companies to crystallize their hedgehog concepts. Can we go from good to great in education without answering these questions.
Mr collins says that when he charted the factors that led these firms to greatness, he had never claimed that they were. Do something you can 1 be the best in the world at 2 are passionate about 3 can make money at. The hedgehog concept was originally based on an ancient greek parable which stated, the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. An overview of jim collins book good to great, with a particular focus on finding your hedgehog concept how to get there. Many of us can recount envy of people for whom everything in life appeared to come all too easily, as epitomised by the charmed life of schoolboy character david watts in the kinks song of the same name. Business researcher and consultant, jim collins, used this concept as a metaphor for business in his influential book, good to great. The hedgehog concept simplicity within the three circles. Back then, elbit systems, the company im working at in the last decade, has handed out this book to all. That was a time when i began to pick up books on business with the goal of extracting lessons i could apply to barrel. In 1979, warnerlambert told business week that it aimed to be a leading consumerproducts company. Good to great in the corporate world, but not only.
This post is part of my series on how to apply the concepts of the book good to great, by jim collins, to tech companies. Good to great using the hedgehog concept pete wargent. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. Crafting a strategy ultimately leads to clarity with your people, your vendors, your customers. How to use the hedgehog concept to compete with massive competitors 47 july, 20 9 minute read posted by amin. The hedgehog principle was introduced by jim collins in his book good to great, in which he argues that truly great companies are oriented around a hedgehog concept. There are no quick fixes, and just like the adage goes, good things come to those who wait and who vigorously pursue their hedgehog concept. In jim collins new book, good to greata study of 14 companies that went from good performance to great performance, he describes one of the first steps as first who, then what. Oct, 2010 good to great is probably a pipe dream for most big companies the entrenched egos are too giant to shift. Collins that describes how companies transition from being good companies to great companies, and how most companies fail to make the transition. Ppt good to great by jim collins powerpoint presentation.