Linking the Hedgehog Concept to the Voice Concept
By Vic Wiens
Two of the most influential business books in roughly the last decade have been the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey and Good to Great by Jim Collins. In Covey’s recent book The 8th Habit, he links his ideas of principle-centered leadership with Collins’ Hedgehog concept to produce a new concept he calls “voice”.
Let me quote Covey,
“I’m very impressed with Jim Collins’ approach to pathfinding. In his book Good to Great, he presents three overlapping circles, which represent your main strengths. He calls it the Hedgehog Concept. These circles identify three questions: What are you really good at—maybe, even, what can you be best in the world at? Second, what are you deeply passionate about? And third, what will people pay for? In other words, what are the human needs and wants being met that would drive your economic engine? The nexus between these three overlapping circles represents the foundation of your value proposition.
If we were to add one more question, What does your conscience counsel? we would have a whole-person approach (body—economic engine; mind—be best at; heart—passion; and spirit—conscience). The overlapping of all four areas is where your voice is to be found (see figure 11.3). As discussed before, this approach would apply to an individual finding his or her voice, as well as to an organization finding its voice.” p. 220
