Editorial

Citation

Suzanne Wing, L. (2002), "Editorial", Team Performance Management, Vol. 8 No. 7/8. https://doi.org/10.1108/tpm.2002.13508gaa.001

Editorial

I recently took time to read Good to Great by Collins (2001). In the book, Collins suggests that many great companies are great from the start; but, that to move from good to great requires a special set of characteristics.

In his model, he discusses level five leadership: leadership of humility and persistence. This rang a chord in me, as in most of the high performing teams I have encountered, I have recognized a special kind of leadership, the kind that is supportive of the development of individuals, yet persistent in pursuit of excellence. I recommend those of you who study teams and who read this journal to consider a study of leader traits for teams as it relates to the achievement of vision.

Another characteristic of companies which move from good to great is that they deploy characteristics that are similar to the hedgehog. While these metaphors are sometimes difficult to grasp, Collins makes it easy for us to understand his thinking. A hedgehog goes about its business, paying attention to the day-to-day details of its world. It does not pay attention to much else, instead focusing on the daily needs of maintaining its home and its food supply. A fox on the other hand is opportunistic, gaining advantage from others. It pays little attention to its immediate needs, focusing on others instead. These animals represent two ways to manage oneself. When approached by the fox, the hedgehog simply rolls up into a ball resembling a porcupine and puts its spiny quills to the outer world to repel the intruder. Similarly, hedgehog companies pay attention to day-to-day business, and when approached by a competitor, repel that competitor through well-developed strategies which result from paying attention to the day-to-day needs of the company and its market. Again, I recommend for those of you who study teams and who read this journal to consider a study of day-to-day team operations as it relates to "hedgehog" characteristics and the successful accomplishment of team goals.

My thanks for being with us as we continue to research and study the implications of teams and teamwork for successful business operations. For those of you who wish to publish your ideas about team research, information is available at the back of the journal. Information about the submission of articles is clearly stated. I would welcome a review of your ideas for next year's journal volume.

Best of regards.

Linda Suzanne WingEditor

ReferenceCollins, J. (2001), Good to Great, Random House Business Books, New York, NY.