As Chet writes in today’s BBTL book entry, “Sometimes, you study like the hedgehog (who does one thing very, very well) and stay in the lane of your domain. Sometimes you study like a fox (who is clever, cunning and creative) and learn about many different things.”
While the hedgehog’s singular focus on mastery is a most worthy pursuit, imagine the even greater value of a foxy hedgehog. These next-level masters supplement and multiply their impact through the study of ideas and interests well beyond their backyard bookshelf. Thus, it’s the foxy hedgehog who possesses BOTH domain-specific mastery AND the added ability to more easily think outside the box, asking new and better questions, from a fresh and well-read perspective.
No knock on hedgehogs mastering their craft! The world needs more true masters. But as Albert Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
How ‘bout you, leader? Do you simply “stay in the lane of your domain,” or do you shake it up and challenge your thinking…like the foxy hedgehog?
BUILT TO LEAD 