CJUS610 Discussion – Level 5 Leadership
The Hedgehog Concept basically makes it so that companies are able to point out or
identify their core values and things that they do well, and to simply focus on promoting that
within the company. When ideas and interests are scattered, it can create chaos and an
unorganized company (Kelley, 2018). The concept details that while a fox knows many things,
the hedgehog knows one big thing in that it can survive based on its limited knowledge. The fox
is a sly creature, and has many methods for surviving, being smarter than that of a hedgehog. The
intention of the theory was to explain that those who focus on too many things accomplish little
success, but the people who put their focus and attention into one big thing, they are more likely
to succeed (Gordon, 2022). It asks a company where their passions lie and what skills are labeled
as the best. This is what happened with Wells Fargo, but somewhere along the way, the company
got sidetracked and began to fail. Collins was incorrect to be begin with by saying that leaders
are like hedgehogs. Based on the schemes and poor actions led by the Wells Fargo leaders, it
would be more appropriate to label them as foxes instead, which are animals that are known for
their stealth and sneakiness. Collins could have misinterpreted how Wells Fargo reported their
successes after the year of 2001 given that if the leaders were acting more like foxes in disguise
of hedgehogs, this would be misleading. In order for something this large to have been
accomplished, it could not have just been one leader disguised as a hedgehog to cause this
disaster. There would have had to have been many people involved, acting like hedgehogs but
doing the work of a fox behind the scenes. There were so many people within the company of
Wells Fargo that focused too much on the mantra of the Hedgehog Concept, that it eventually
became their undoing (Hoggan, 2019). The egos of the people trying to run the company were
blinded by the very people who were in disguise all along, as they were the foxes trying to take
advantage of the company, its money, and the customers who followed it. When the Hedgehog
Concept is applied correctly and all people are on board with following it, the company can go
from good to great, and the long-term strategies will help the company survive in the near future.
References
Gordon, J. (2022). Hedgehog concept, explained. The Business Professor. Retrieved from
https://thebusinessprofessor.com/en_US/business-management-amp-operations-strategy-
entrepreneurship-amp-innovation/hedgehog-concept-defined
Hoggan, C. (2019). Foxes and hedgehogs: The value of transformation and any other theory.
Journal of Transformative Education. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/15413
44619870334
Kelly, B. (2018). Good to Great in Educational Development. To Improve the Academy, 37(1), p.
151-158. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/tia2.20073
Student Replies
Reply #1 – Elena Allenbrand
Hi Elena, thank you for sharing your thoughts and stances on this issue of the Hedgehog
Concept, it was very interesting to read and I enjoyed getting to understand your viewpoint on
the topic discussed. I found that we agreed in some ways and I liked how you incorporated the
book of Matthew to tie in your points together with biblical references. I agree that 15 years is a
big chunk of time, and there could have been something going on behind the scenes that Collins
was not aware of. The Hedgehog Concept basically makes it so that companies are able to point
out or identify their core values and things that they do well, and to simply focus on promoting
that within the company. When ideas and interests are scattered, it can create chaos and an
unorganized company (Kelley, 2018). While the hedgehog concept does bring laser focus to a
company, as you mentioned, it can also bring in more chances for people who are foxes to take
over. Because foxes are more sly and sneaky, they will be able to get away with more given that
the hedgehog is too focused on one idea (Hoggan, 2019). This can lead to moral and ethical
issues down the road. It is interesting to think in terms of animals when it comes to big
companies, such as Wells Fargo. Thank you again for sharing your ideas.?
References
Hoggan, C. (2019). Foxes and hedgehogs: The value of transformation and any other theory.
Journal of Transformative Education. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344619870334
Kelly, B. (2018). Good to Great in Educational Development. To Improve the Academy, 37(1), p.
151-158. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/tia2.20073
Reply #2 – Ron Spivey
Hi Ron, thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights on the topic of the Hedgehog Concept
and how it could apply to the Wells Fargo case scenario. It is interesting how such a successful
company ended up having a downfall somewhere. I think this could have been due to there being
some foxes in the company who took advantage of the thinking of the hedgehogs. Because
hedgehogs only focus on one thing for survival, this gives the foxes an advantage to think in
multiple ways and strategize around the hedgehogs (Kelly, 2018). I thought it was interesting
what you were saying about planning for the worst. Having a plan set and in mind can help
hedgehogs in a company to be aware of their surroundings and of possible dangers while still
focusing on the passions of the company and helping it succeed. I like the bible passage from
proverbs that you included, because it holds a lot of truth and relevance to the topic. When
someone fully understands a scenario, they are given a better outlook on the situation and how to
come to a comprehensive decision. The Hedgehog Concept only makes it so that employees and
leaders are focused on one thing. There should be more of a wide overlooking aspect to a
company rather than honing in one aspect. To be well-rounded would be the best aspect to have
about a company, that way they can multitask and get done what they need to do, while also
watching for possible threats and alerts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this discussion.?
