# 247: BOOK OF THE WEEK — “Good to Great” (Part II)
Story behind the Book Choice
There are days when I have no idea how on earth I could be so crazy as to start daily blog and a “Book of the Week” section. Just last week, I did not get through with my reading. Well, I could have started reading earlier, sure. That is always the solution if you do not make deadlines. Today, again, it was tough because the entire day got messed up timewise. Still, a promise is a promise and if I say I do it, I do it. And this is very esay, actualy, no matter how hard it seems. As soon as I start or continue reading again, I see so many things that are interesting that I have to make hard decisions. So, here are my remaining highlights in addition to the first one I gave you last Sunday in Part I.
2. Leading with questions
The book is filled with hands-on examples from the research of the authors. This one about the Socratic method as part of the success recipe for Level 5 leaders certainly jumped at me. Collins and his team claim that being a Level 5 leader is necessary for leaders who want to make the leap from “good to great.” Level 5 leaders are characterized by one important thing: They put their ego ambition behind corporate interests. That does not mean they have no ego or strong self-determination. But they always put their individual visibility and also to some extent their voice behind that of the company. And by doing so, they automatically put their people up front.
This very much resonates with the method of Socratic dialogue that we know since Greek times. Unfortunately, however, this tradition has gotten lost in many board rooms and many company cultures at large. Yes, there is so much talk about “open communication” and “critical reflection.” But, let us be honest, where is it happening? The argument is always “we have no time” and “let us focus strictly on the agenda.” The fact that real dialogue takes time and that this time is well-invested, is often forgotten. And I mean forgotten. I am not saying it is consciously being ignored. But even if it were: There is one necessary criterion for dialogue to happen: You need to be a trained “moderator.”
Moderation necessarily requires asking questions. This is something that needs training. It is an art in and of itself. This is nothing new but the importance of knowing how to ask questions tends to be neglected, even by people who use it all the time. A “profession” like coaching, at the core, relies to almost 100% on asking questions. And the examples Collins mentions are ones in which highly skilled CEOs use the method to make it clear that it is not their opinion or strategic vision that counts most. On the contrary, these leaders know that their people are the ones who will most likely make all solutions better with their thinking. Getting this to the table needs: questions.
This is one thing that I really love about the book. Collins always switches back and forth between the “great” companies and the “good” companies in the control group. He applies Socratic dialogue even in his own writing. He shares how the results which the researchers derived from their studies led to intense (self-)questioning on the team. The same needs to apply to a leader who takes his Socratic role model function seriously. It hardly needs to be added that this method is also a strong testimony to the role the humanities play for shaping outstanding leaders. If there is one thing you learn in the humanities, it is: questioning everything and everybody.
Just make sure you do not drift into extremes.
3. Fox or hedgehog
The fox versus hedgehog metaphor goes back to an essay by Isaiah Berlin and the Greek parable. The message, as the passage shows, is literally very simple: simplicity. At least since Steve Jobs, we all know what simple can mean if you are holding a smart phone in your hand with only one single button (some without any button). But Jobs is just the most prominent example since he used simplicity as his design principle. Simplicity, as the example of the hedgehog in the book shows, can be reached by anyone who is able to not be stuck in complexity. Hence, simplicity has nothing to do with stupidity. I would not say it is the enemy of sophistication. But I definitely know that it takes a lot of learning to get there. And maybe, you never get there.
By “you,” I mean myself as well.
I am definitely more of a fox than a hedgehog which means I often get stuck in the big complex vision. Yet, this might not be the case for everything I do. Maybe I am able to do the complexity simplification in some areas, even just the one area of excellence, but not in others. Even if this is true, I usually go in so many circles from simplicity back to complexity and back again. In other words: I get stuck in the longing for more simplicity and sometimes I simply do not get there.
If this is a thing about finding your sweet spot, then there might be hope. If this is about the discipline you need to become a Level 5 leader, there is definitely hope. If you have to be born a hedgehog, there is little hope. We cannot change our nature to such an extent or can we? I am a fierce believer in human development. But there are some things that are definitely so deeply rooted in ourselves that changing them takes much work. This is another criterion the authors reveal, by the way, i.e., the difference between leaders that always blame outside forces for bad results. What I want to say: Being a hedgehog is a definite asset if you want to be successful.
Since I am somewhere in-between on the fox-hedgehog continuum, I simply decide that there is hope. I just need to be a bit more patient. Well, no, actually that would be kind of cowardly. I need to try making the hedgehog principle my guiding light right now. This includes the aspect of communication. Boiling everything down to one simple principle is a key prerequisite for making a message stick. This is not something that takes more patience. I need to stop finding excuses for not sticking to this principle. I will start right now and I will apply this principle in a meeting tomorrow.
Still, there is one thing I need to add that shows my appreciation for foxes: A fox taught me most of the things I needed to know in order to flourish. He will never leave me, no matter how much of a hedgehog I can or want to be. If I never get there, so be it. Being a fox is no shame. My fox made people happy. He set the foundation for my happiness. I trust that my path will show me where to go — because he guides me.
Happy Birthday, dear fox.
Reflection Questions
2) Are you a good moderator? How specifically could you improve your question-asking skills?
3) Are you a fox or a hedgehog? If you are a fox, which current challenge could you use to practice your hedgehog skills?