“If everything is important, then nothing is. Alignment means focusing on what truly matters.” – Patrick Lencioni
Ever wonder why some people wake up fired up to go to work while others dread Mondays? It all comes down to alignment — specifically, three key things that need to line up perfectly for you to love what you do every day and build something truly successful. This concept, borrowed from Jim Collins’ Good to Great, is known as the “Hedgehog Concept.”
Here’s how it breaks down:
Passion: If you don’t love what you do, you’ll burn out. It’s not if, it’s when. Passion fuels the long hours, the problem-solving, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Without it, every challenge feels like a burden instead of an opportunity. Passion is what gets you out of bed in the morning ready to face whatever the day brings – even when things get tough.
Profitability: Passion is key. But passion alone won’t pay the bills. You have to be able to do something where you can make money, provide for your family, and reinvest into growth. If there’s no clear path to profitability, you’re running a hobby, not a business. Profit is the lifeblood of your business – it gives you the means to expand, improve, and sustain your operations in the long term. It cannot be merely WHY you do what you do, but it’s a tool to achieve more and to help yourself and others hit their goals in life! The reason most businesses fail is not because of sales, or lack of passion, but because they run out of money!
Being the Best (or Becoming the Best): If you’re not already the best at what you do in your market, you need a plan to get there. People will pay a premium for excellence, and we all know that competition is ruthless. No matter the industry you’re in, if you’re just another option, you’ll ALWAYS be fighting to survive. But if you’re the best, your clients will seek you out, and you’ll have the edge that sets you apart from the competition.
In the book, Jim Collins frames it like this… “To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence. It requires the discipline to say, ‘Just because we are good at it – just because we’re making money and generating growth – doesn’t necessarily mean we can become the best at it.’ The Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, a plan to be the best. It is an understanding of what you can be the best at.”
When these three things align – passion, profitability, and being the best at what you do – you don’t just work; you build a legacy. You wake up every day excited, confident, and over the top driven because what you do matters, and you’re a dominant force in your industry.
But if even just one of these elements is missing, it’s time to make adjustments. Otherwise, you’re holding yourself back from reaching your full potential.
Do you find yourself dreading getting out of bed some days? Is this teaching resonating with you even right now? It may be time for you to re-evaluate and align your priorities!
Get these key areas working in harmony, and you’ll find yourself not just succeeding but thriving, and your business or organization will go from good to great. It’s all about making sure you’re in the right place, doing what you love, and doing it better than anyone else!
Incorporating this alignment will ensure that you’re not just showing up – you’re building something that lasts.
“In an organization, the key to building trust is alignment. It’s intentionally creating an organization where what we do aligns with what we value.” – Craig Groeschel