I have a never ending list of books that I want to read; many of which I already own and a couple I plan to write, but one that is on my list is Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Tonight while attending the final e-Marketing class at Corporate College East, a fable from the book was referenced. The story of the fox and the hedgehog. Are you familiar with it?

Well, it really resonated with me and is sending me out to pick up the book and read it from cover to cover.

Paraphrasing here:

The fox is clever and smart and is constantly trying new things and new ways to get the hedgehog; distracted by new ideas and going off into a multitude of directions. He isn't successful.

The hedgehog does just one thing but he does it really well - he knows how to curl up into a ball and have his pointy spikes sticking out.

Well, I'm a fox. I move in different directions, distracted by new ideas and new potential product offerings and new ideas in target prospects. I'm working harder than I have to.

I want to be a hedgehog. I need to find ONE THING that I do REALLY well and just stick to that.

Are you a fox or a hedgehog?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer