The Fox and the Hedgehog

I did a bit of research regarding the hedgehog metaphor which was the basis of Jim Collins’ hedgehog concept.

The Greek poet Archilochus from the 7th century BC was the first to present the contrasting personalities of the fox and the hedgehog. In one of his poems, he said:
“The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.”

The British philosopher and historian of ideas, Isaiah Berlin, turned that concept into what is now an American metaphor for two diametrically opposed personalities. On one end of the spectrum, an individual who is characterized as a hedgehog has the ability to focus on a single, central vision of reality which is consistent with how he feels and thinks, as a result of his experiences and the environment in which he grew up. He is what one may call a “system addict”.

At the other end of the spectrum is the fox, whose life is characteristically centrifugal rather than centripetal, as he pursues divergent ends. A fox generally possesses a better sense of reality that life is too complex to have a unified explanation of “everything”.

In the book “Leadership on the Line”, Heifetz and Linsky are talking more about the fox as they give emphasis on curiosity and innocence as among the ideal traits of a leader. Chris Lowney in “Heroic Leadership” likewise talks about the same, giving importance to leadership values of innovation, flexibility, creativity and having an outwardly world view. But he also refers to a hedgehog’s trait when he talks about leaders having rigid anchors that enable them to discern and make decisions based on his non-negotiable values and principles, which is his “one big thing”.

Of course, Jim Collins is obviously biased for the hedgehog type of leadership.
I think that an effective leader should be somewhere in between the spectrum, somewhere towards the fox end of it. A leader has to be bull strong in focus and be able to stand on firm ground based on his solid anchors. At the same time, he has to be able to remain nimble and innovative in order to remain in tune with the ever changing world.

Lowney’s “Heroic Leadership” is an excellent study of the combination of the traits of a fox and a hedgehog. That is one book that has a profound impact on my personal reflections both as a leader and as a person.