The Self Knowledge Imperative
When renowned author and business guru Jim Collins says something is vitally important, trust that it is
Are you familiar with Jim Collins, the author of game-changing books such as Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall and Turning the Flywheel? Although I have never met Jim, he has had an incredible impact on me. Even as I am writing this post, I have a small ceramic hedgehog smiling at me on my desk. Jim has long been a proponent of The Hedgehog Concept:
The Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, or an intention to be the best; it is an understanding of what you can be the best at.
The concept is based on an ancient Greek parable: "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing".
I first learned about the Hedgehog Concept during Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead podcast conversation with Jim Collins in December, 2020. It was two hours long and I was spellbound. At the heart of this concept was Jim’s reminder that developing a Hedgehog Concept takes time—often years—but it provides a clear, simple guide for all decisions. According to Jim Collins, greatness comes from focusing on meaningful opportunities, transcending the curse of competence and cultivating discipline to stop doing what distracts.
To this day, I can remember exactly where I was: Chandler, Arizona. I was also at a big inflection point in my own personal growth journey. I was feeling a growing sense of purpose taking shape within me. I was “transcending”. I had an eagerness to share all that had been so transformational for me personally with others. The big question was how to do that.
Immediately after that podcast, I began an online search for a notebook with a hedgehog on it - and fortunately I found one almost immediately. That hedgehog notebook was the starting point for what has become my website, my Daily Gummies of Wisdom, this Substack and most importantly, the conversations I have with others on a daily basis, planting seeds of personal growth with loving care. I often wear a hedgehog necklace and when people ask me about it — I share something meaningful that I have learned.
You can imagine my pure delight in discovering that Jim Collins was now a guest on Ryan Holiday’s Daily Stoic podcast, discussing his hot off the press new book:
Once again, I found myself spellbound and hanging on every word as Jim shared that it took him 10 years to research and write this book. Ryan highlighted that this very book is likely the best one he has ever written. Jim humbly shared that this book transformed him.
I paused the conversation so that I could viscerally feel my way into Jim’s hedgehog concept, how he really does practice what he preaches, how his own deep research ended up becoming invaluable me-search for him personally. The short book review on Amazon captures the essence of Jim’s personal experience:
“And for the first time, Collins movingly chronicles his own story to reveal how undertaking this project transformed him, changing his thinking and reshaping his emotions in fundamental ways. Surprising, story-driven, deeply researched, and uplifting, What to Make of a Life is a book like no other, convincingly showing how a richly fulfilled life is within reach of us all. “ (excerpted from the Amazon website for Jim’s latest book)
I confess feeling a strong sense of community, of kinship and collective action as I gazed at the cover of Jim’s new book. I have used similar imagery on my website, Trailheads and Pivot Points. A smile grew wide across my face as I imagined a trailhead where a gathering of happy hedgehogs were all coming together.
I let my imagination run wild. I pictured Jim as the lead hedgehog unpacking his wisdom and preparing us for the this next traverse into the incredible wilderness of our self discovery. Jim gathers us all around, spellbound once again around a crackling campfire and offers this imperative: The future belongs to those who are fully prepared with self-knowledge.
He defines self-knowledge as the essential, proactive process of understanding one’s own unique strengths, “encodings,” and core values to build a meaningful life and career. It involves aligning your life with your innate talents rather than fixing weaknesses, navigating personal “cliffs” or transitions, and achieving long-term personal momentum.
Can you imagine being around that crackling campfire and hearing these inspiring words and call to action landing in your ears and right in the very core of yourself? Glancing around at others absorbing this wisdom, it becomes so apparent that we’ve gone about this whole process of self discovery all wrong. We’ve been blindly searching, even breathlessly chasing sometimes, catching ourselves at the very last minute before we toppled over a cliff.
Now here is Jim, calmly bringing us back to reality and lifting the fog. We would never climb a mountain, go on a hike or explore uncharted territory without preparing well for such a challenge. Yet that is exactly how we have approached personal growth, self development and building a life that feels meaningful and deeply rewarding.
I took some time yesterday to reflect on Brene Brown’s latest book, Strong Ground: The Tenacity of Paradox and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit. Clearly, Brene is one of those lead hedgehogs at this new trailhead. Her research and book tells us to dump out and discard protective emotional armor and heavy, clunky, ineffective behavioral patterns. She whips us in to shape for the adventures ahead with kettlebell practices to make sure we have the core strength and endurance to meet life’s cliffs and challenges. We are filling our backpacks with science-based tools and relational skills. We are no longer dragging ourselves through life, we are getting after it!
I can picture Brene Brown and Jim Collins high-fiving as they feel the palpable energy shifting.
Jim offers us a brand new trail map for what lies ahead. In bold letters across the top it says “The Self-Knowledge Imperative”.
“Encoding” vs. Weakness: Focus on what you are naturally designed to do (your “encoding”) rather than trying to become something you are not.
Alignment: Using self-knowledge to ensure your work, actions, and energy are in direct alignment with your inner fire and core values.
Navigating “Cliffs”: Using self-awareness to overcome major life, career, or personal disruptions, and deciding what to do next to rebuild.
Personal Flywheel: Understanding yourself helps build personal momentum (“flywheel effect”) across a lifetime, rather than just in short bursts.
Beyond “Right People”: While Good to Great emphasized getting the right people on the bus, this imperative applies those principles to managing one’s own life and personal trajectory.
I confess that I have been waiting for this moment. The moment when it becomes self-evident that we got it all wrong and now we are pivoting to a much more dynamic approach to a lifetime of personal growth and evergreen self-discovery.
There is a powerful movement underfoot - a call to action that feels energetic, adventurous and so agentic.
Picture me as one excited, enthusiastic, effervescent hedgehog - a little ball of pure joy rolling down the hill, ready to round up all that want to join in this transformational movement!