5 Reasons It’s Bad to Copy Successful People
Infants mimic adults when they learn to talk. Adults choose their own words.
Novices imitate. Experts craft their own path.
Imitation comes before mastery. Don’t copy successful people too long.
5 Reasons It’s Bad to Copy Successful People:
#1. Survivorship Bias
We only hear about winners. We don’t hear about people who failed using the same habits.
Gurus suggest getting up early, but Winston Churchill stayed up late, drank frequently, spoke rudely, and worked from bed. You probably shouldn’t copy him.
#2. Diversity of Strengths and Weaknesses
You have a unique set of talents and limitations. What’s easy for one is soul-sucking for another.
I’ve written consistently for 15 years. Sometimes I force myself to begin, but I’m not disciplined. I’m energized by ideas, clarity, and brevity. When I write, an hour shrinks into a minute.
#3. Hidden Factors
Success isn’t just about morning routines. Good fortune, connections, timing, and subtle skills are factors in success.
#4. Unseen Trade-Offs
Some people sacrifice health or relationships to become “successful.”
#5. Context Matters
Habits are shaped by your industry, personality, culture, geography, and social connections.
Move Beyond Imitation to Mastery
Study principles, not practices. Getting up at 5 a.m. is a practice. The principle might be, establish time for uninterrupted work.
Keeping a journal is a technique. Self-reflection is the principle. You might prefer a slow walk at the end of the day or talking to a recorder.
Many successful people skip breakfast. The practice of skipping a meal is more about maximizing peak hours than eating Wheaties. Notice how you feel after a meal—let that be your guide. Do your best work when you’re at your best.
Copy people’s tactics when you begin. Evaluate results. Determine the principles behind the tactics. Design your own strategies. Master what works for you.
How have you tried to copy successful people?
Imitation vs. Observational Learning: Understanding the Differences
View your reactions with discernment, adjust … successful? Repeat.
Better to repeat what works than to return to a dead-end path.
Dan, you wrote “I’m energized by ideas, clarity, and brevity.”.
Man, THAT is why I have followed, shared, and implemented your work for over a decade!
Thank you,
Joe
Thanks for the encouragement. I admire how you lead. Continued success my friend. And stay warm!
Before I went into the corporate world I was a professional horse trainer. When I was first learning, an instructor told me, “Learn as many different things from many different trainers. Put them in your bag of tricks, you might not use all of it, but you will learn what works for you and what doesn’t.” The bigger your bag of tricks, the more you can reach into it when you need to. How you use it, will be unique to you. And not everything will work. I think it works the same in any environment. Just keep building your “bag of tricks.”
Great illustration. I’ve noticed when I run with the first thing that works, I stop exploring and learning. Pausing and asking, “What else,” keeps the “bag” opened.
Dan, I love your thought about “imitation comes before mastery.” This is such a profound principle! Thanks for sharing it…
I believe this principle also applies to creativity, “imitation comes before mastery.” When someone takes over a new role there may be a tendency to immediately rip apart the current and implement your own systems. Yet there is wisdom in imitating what is there already, mastering it by doing what the practices have been, in order to more fully understand it… and then, begin creatively innovating something new.
Wise point, Hank. Don’t insult the people who built the existing systems. Honor what is. Work to make it better. Demolition is part of improvement, but it’s good to respect and understand what you’re blowing up.
I find over-confidence tends to disrespect current practices. Sometimes the cause is lack of experience.
Great way to think about mastery …..Study principles, not practices. What works for one set of skills and circumstances does not fit all! But learning from success and adapting the principle helps to enable success.