Hero se Zero: Why could Aamir take the leap that Shah Rukh couldn't

I have been a Shah Rukh fan since childhood. Be it Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Swades, I’ve seen it all - multiple times. However, off late, we’ve seen a majority of his films not doing too well. Be it his recent debacle – Zero, or the previous Jab Harry Met Sejal, the once-reigning superstar seems to be losing his sheen.

Being a management student I can’t help but notice the ‘Hedgehog Concept’ in application here.

Too heavy? Not being a fan of fancy jargons myself, I would like to put forth this concept in very simple words.

What is the Hedgehog Concept?

Based on a Greek parable, in a jungle lived a fox and a hedgehog. The cunning fox was always on the lookout to feast upon the hedgehog. While the fox used a myriad of complex strategies to kill the hedgehog, the seemingly docile hedgehog knew that ‘one’ right strategy of puffing up his spikes to drive the fox away.

In his book, Good to Great, author Jim Collins has used this metaphor to describe what separates good from great.

Great people or companies are like hedgehogs who know that ‘one thing’ which would drive success, while the good companies are inconsistent – focusing on too many complex strategies – just like the fox.

To become a hedgehog or know that ‘one’ thing which would make one ‘great’, we need to understand three aspects of being 'great' - What you love, what you're good at and what pays well.

Let’s understand this with case of Shah Rukh Khan.

• What you love is what one is passionate about – romantic films in case of SRK.
• What you’re the best at is what in this world makes him the best – need not necessarily be the core competency. For example, SRK could possibly be the best in experimental cinema or movies in the likes of Swades or Chak De that give a message, but is he even currently engaged in creating such kind of movies?
• And finally what is he paid for? Why do people love him? Is it because he acts well or is it because he sets new trends – remember how he made the signature DDLJ pose popular ?

Shah Rukh versus Aamir – What Aamir does right?

Based on what we understood of the Hedgehog Concept, I tried applying it to two superstars – Shah Rukh and Aamir. And I think now I know why Aamir has a stronger Box Office record.

This holds true for us too, we often wonder that there were some people in our school/college or work who seemed very mediocre – but went on to become ‘GREAT’; while we are still where we are.

It’s just because they have possibly found that ‘one’ thing and worked hard on it, while we are just working hard on something which may not even be our winning zone.

So as we begin this new year, let’s apply the ‘Hedgehog Concept’ to our lives and figure out that ‘one’ thing that would help us go from ‘Good’ to ‘Great’. Let’s create an identity for ourselves in this VUCA world.

As the Jabra Fan rightly says,..