How many times have we all heard about great organizations and yet never truly understood what made them rise above all others? As I read Jim Colllins book Good to Great I learned that sustainable success comes to those who apply the Hedgehog Concept. Never before had I heard this term used in describing organizational leadership; yet it makes sense to know your passion, describe what drives you, and discover what it is you can be the best at. If educational institutions practice these principles they will load the bus with the right people;therefore, building a supportive school environment for all stakeholders. Some would say the drawback is that schools are slow to move forward or they lack the technology to progress. Jim's book contradicts this notion by stating "Great Organizations" ask questions, confront the facts, and often bring about change gradually. No great company, that sustained results, jumped on a bandwagon or made an empire over night. Through interviews with leaders of great companies, his researchers found the application of technology as a driving force in accelerating the flywheel.
I invite you to think about the flywheel you are on, is it gaining momentum or stalling? Are you an accelerator or extinguisher? Each of us has the responsibility in knowing our core values so that we board the right bus and become an asset to the organization we elect to dedicate our lives. "Do you have the discipline to do the right thing and, equally important, to stop doing the wrong things?" (2001, p.141).
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