Are you the fox or the hedgehog?

Hey - it’s Tom.

Welcome to this week’s Freedom Friday edition of Ctrl+Shift, where we unpack one core psychological challenge of leadership, and leave you with a single (sometimes challenging) question to ponder.

Est. time to read: 2 minutes.

A fox knows many things and chases every rabbit it sees. A hedgehog knows one big thing and focuses all its energy there.

This concept is based on a famous ancient Greek parable: "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." The fox is clever, constantly darting about, chasing every rabbit it sees with a dozen different strategies. But the hedgehog, a simpler creature, knows how to do one thing perfectly: defend itself by curling into an impenetrable ball of spikes. In the end, the focused hedgehog always wins.

This edition is about moving from the frantic, opportunistic life of a fox to the focused, powerful life of a hedgehog. It's about finding the one thing your business can be the best in the world at.

A note from Tom: My first agency was a classic fox. We offered web design, SEO, social media, and email marketing. We took any project a client would pay us for. We were constantly busy, spread thin, and decent at everything but great at nothing. It took me two years of running on a hamster wheel (there’s a lot of animals in this edition!) to confront the fact that we were a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. The most painful (and profitable) decision I ever made was cutting 75% of our services to focus on just one. It was terrifying, but it was the only way to stop chasing rabbits and build something truly great.

This business lesson is captured perfectly by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great with what he calls the "Hedgehog Concept." It’s a strategic framework for finding clarity, and it lies at the intersection of three circles:

1. What you are deeply passionate about.

2. What you can be the best in the world at.

3. What drives your economic engine (what is most profitable and sustainable).

A strategy that doesn't unite all three is a recipe for mediocrity. The true power of this model isn't just in identifying what's inside the circles; it's in gaining the courage and clarity to ruthlessly say "no" to everything else, no matter how tempting the opportunity seems.

For you to ponder:

What is one thing your business does that you are good at, but could never be the best in the world at? What would happen if you stopped doing it?

Want to read more? This edition was inspired by learnings and insights from Good to Great by Jim Collins.

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That’s it for this edition, see you next Tactical Tuesday!

Cheers,

Tom

PS If you got value from this edition, feel free to Buy Me a Coffee!