Hedgehogs and Foxes

(above) Each year, for one day in the spring, a Cardigan student has an opportunity to walk in the shoes of the head of school, while Mr. Day gets to return to the classroom. In the photos on this page, Mr. Day attends a seventh-grade peaks class and later strategizes with the same students during a game of capture the flag.

Typically, the articles and photos in the Chronicle showcase the accomplishments of the people of Cardigan, past and present, as well as updates on programs and projects on The Point. There is a lot to crow about at Cardigan these days; our school is humming and we’re laser focused on being the best school we can be for middle school boys, now and into the future.

This issue of the Chronicle, however, focuses on failure.

In his book, Good to Great, acclaimed researcher and author Jim Collins explains a hedgehog concept recognizable in great organizations. Based on a Greek parable, the metaphor illustrates that while a “fox knows many things, a hedgehog knows one big thing.” Foxes know many strategies for hunting and outsmarting their prey, while hedgehogs are good at one thing—curling into spiky balls that protect them from predators. Good organizations, Collins explains, become great organizations (hedgehogs) when they focus on the intersection of three key questions: What are they deeply passionate about? What are they the best in the world at? And what drives their engine?

Cardigan’s mission is our answer to all three questions: We offer “a close-knit community to prepare middle school boys—in mind, body, and spirit—for responsible and meaningful lives in a global society.” In addition, our Strategic Plan for Cardigan 2032 is our North Star and beckons us boldly forward, sinking our roots deeper in areas where we need to stand firm and evolving as a learning community in an increasingly complicated but opportunistic world. Our job is not to sell more widgets than our competitors nor grow our “company” to have a “storefront” in every corner of the globe. Instead, we are focused on one thing: making an immediate impact on the boys while they’re with us and providing them with the tools and resources that will encourage them to thrive as they naturally mature after their time on The Point. Our passion is to be the best school for middle school boys in the world, one whose engine for success is the confidence that families have in us—through storm and weather fair—in the development of their sons.
 

But while Collins’ analogy makes sense for an organization, our students often need to look to the fox for inspiration, especially when it comes to failure. Failure often means that the boys are pushing beyond their limits or capabilities. In that case, punishing them for failure would be growth- stunting idiocy. At Cardigan, failure is not considered a terminal condition; rather, it is an opportunity to unpack setbacks and learn from them—to reach into one’s toolbox and find the resources to help overcome the obstacles the next time. When Cardigan boys leave The Point for the last time, the most valuable item that they take with them is a toolbox of resources that they can draw on and add to for the rest of their lives. When they mess up (and on any given day here that happens more times than we can usually count), Cardigan boys know that the next move is to figure out how to do better next time. Like a fox, they come to realize their options are many.

Using moments of unsuccess as pathways to future successes is an exercise in patience, persistence, and a recognition that Cardigan’s “one big thing”—our hedgehog—is to intersect with these boys at a transformational time in their growth and help them prepare for the future. But to encourage our boys to also be hedgehogs would be short-sighted. Instead we provide them with a wide range of valuable tools and lessons—their fox—allowing them to adapt and overcome.

Welcome to the newest edition of the Chronicle. In the pages that follow, look for the hedgehogs and foxes. You’ll see plenty of both!

Christopher D. Day P’12,’13
Head of School

This article was originally published in the summer 2025 issue of the Cardigan Chronicle