Monday Motivation: Be What You’re Good At

This is probably going to classify me as a total geek, but so be it: one of my favorite books of any genre is Jim Collins’ Good to Great. (I know, right?) I re-read or re- skim it every so often just to keep the concepts fresh in my mind.

What’s important to recognize about that book is that it has lessons beyond managing a business.  The famous “hedgehog concept” from Good to Great can be applied to your own individual development and is an excellent way to focus your talents and energy on that which you do best.

If you’re not familiar with it, the hedgehog concept is the overlap of the answers to the following questions:

personal hedgehog concept

What you are passionate about? What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning, excited to face the day? I mean, sure, not all mornings go this way, even for the brightest-eyed-bushiest-tailed morning person. But most of us have experienced the feeling when you wake up and remember something you’ve planned for the day, and you can’t wait to do it. Whatever last caused that feeling for you, there’s a good chance it’s part of the answer to this question.

What you can be the best in the world at? A lot of people struggle with assessing themselves critically and honestly: we’re either too critical of ourselves or not honest enough about our shortcomings, and most of us experience both extremes. But it’s important to be able to look at your talents and skills, and decide sincerely where you have the opportunity to excel.

This is where you can start to see the power of the overlap in your answers: you may really enjoy and even be passionate about riding your bicycle, let’s say, but if your ability doesn’t stand out as exceptional, it’s not going to be your hedgehog concept. (It can still be a hobby, but it isn’t where you can focus your talent and energy to really propel yourself forward professionally.)

What drives your economic engine? This reference may be a little obscure if you haven’t read the book, but the gist of it is that your business (or in this case, your personal operations) thrive on some characteristic factor that can be measured. Maybe if you’re in sales, it has to do with calls made. Or if you’re a writer, maybe it has to do with pages written. In some way, you should be able to tie your area of focus to a measurable number.

Why not spend a little time this week answering these questions for yourself so you can come closer to understanding what your personal hedgehog concept is? Once you have a better idea of it, you will be able to ensure that you are set up to pursue it.

Have you applied principles from a business book to your individual development? Tell us about it in the comments.