The fifth chapter in “Good to Great” opens with a story of the fox and the hedgehog. The fox is quick and cunning, moving from place to place with seemingly little foresight. The hedgehog, in contrast, is slow and pokey, “minding his own business.” The hedgehog consistently outsmarts the fox, because while the fox has all sorts of tricks up its sleeve, the hedgehog does one thing very well: it rolls up into a prickly ball and dares the fox to touch it. This fourth post in the “Good to Great” series reflects on what the hedgehog can teach the Introvert Entrepreneur.
The latest issue of Psychology Today features a cover story titled, “Revenge of the Introvert.” It’s an excellent article that brings together scientific research with real-life stories of introverts who are acknowledging and honoring their preferences and needs.
Something’s been bugging me, though. It’s the word “revenge.” I know it’s a play on “Revenge of the Nerds,” and it still bugs me. Today’s Post: What I really appreciate about the article, and why the title irks me.
Nothing about this blog post is what it “should” be. Today is the five-month anniversary of saying goodbye to my precious feline Fiona, whom I wrote about back in October of last year. And this morning, I was an accidental witness to someone else saying goodbye to their beloved feline. This post is in honor of our (introverted?) feline friends.
Of all of the principles outlined in “Good to Great,” the one presented in chapter 4 presents the most potential challenge. It’s probably where companies – and entrepreneurs – either make it or break it.
Collins’ research found that good-to-great companies were able to confront the brutal facts while keeping the faith that they would not only survive, but prevail. Conviction, faith and belief were what kept them going in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. Not optimism. Not positive thinking. Not spinning the truth. This post is about how our Introvert super powers help us face reality head-on.
This is the second in a series of posts focused on relating the findings of Jim Collins’ “Good to Great” to entrepreneurship.
After Level 5 Leadership, the second trait of Good to Great companies that Jim Collins discovered was the ability to bring the right people “on the bus,” without necessarily being clear on which direction the bus(iness) was headed. How does that apply to the entrepreneur?
When it comes to the bus that is your business, you clearly are the bus driver. You decide the speed and direction in which your business moves. You also control the door and who gets on and off the bus. How intentional are you being about who boards your bus?
