Yet history shows us time and again that the most effective way to achieve high performance is to emulate those who have already carved a winning path. In fact, “success leaves clues”, as the saying goes.
Let’s take sport first. No one arrives at Wimbledon by casually knocking a few balls around the local park on a Sunday afternoon. Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Andy Murray – they didn’t become champions overnight. They studied those before them, borrowed training regimes, adapted playing styles, and put in countless hours of deliberate practice. Murray, for example, famously travelled to Barcelona as a teenager to train at the Sánchez-Casal Academy, deliberately surrounding himself with higher standards. He was humble enough to know that if he wanted to win, he needed to learn from those who were already excelling.
The same principle applies in business. Take Sir Richard Branson: when he entered the airline industry, Virgin Atlantic didn’t try to reinvent aviation from scratch. Instead, Branson looked at what the best airlines were doing and asked, “How can we do that – but with a twist?” He adopted proven models and injected Virgin’s unique culture and brand personality. Likewise, Elon Musk is often hailed as a visionary, but he has openly credited his success to voracious reading and learning from others’ breakthroughs. His genius isn’t starting from a blank slate but standing on the shoulders of giants.
Even the best must be willing to adapt. Look at Steve Jobs. He was ousted from Apple in the 1980s, only to return a decade later with a very different mindset. His comeback story wasn’t built on stubbornness but on humility – a willingness to learn from failure, listen to others, and evolve. Without that shift, the iPhone might never have seen the light of day.
This principle of learning, adapting, and following a proven model is at the very heart of franchising. When someone invests in a franchise, they are not reinventing the wheel. They are buying into a system that has already been tested, refined, and proven to work. The heavy lifting – the “what works, what doesn’t” – has already been done. The job of the new franchisee is to follow the playbook, listen to those who have walked the path before, and then bring their own commitment and energy to the table.
At Pitman Training, we see this in action every day. Our most successful franchise partners are not necessarily those who come in with the most experience or the flashiest CVs. Instead, they are the ones who are prepared to listen, to ask questions, and yes – to copy. They take the proven model, they learn from their peers, and they apply those lessons consistently.
Humility, in my experience, is the golden thread running through all high achievers. The moment you think you know it all, you’re finished. Think again of sport: Muhammad Ali called himself “The Greatest” – but behind the bravado was a man who trained harder than anyone else, who listened to his coaches, and who was willing to adapt his style when age and circumstance demanded it. In franchising, humility means acknowledging that the system works and resisting the urge to “do it your way” before you’ve mastered “the way that works”.
And let’s be honest, trying to wing it in business is a bit like turning up to the London Marathon in flip-flops. You might get a round of applause for your bravery, but you’re unlikely to finish, let alone win.
For anyone considering their next career move, the lesson is clear. Whether in sport, business, or franchising, the smartest path to success is rarely the most glamorous. It’s about observing, listening, practising, and having the humility to follow proven steps before adding your own refinements.
Copying, in this context, isn’t a lack of originality – it’s the foundation of excellence. After all, even Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Now, I wouldn’t recommend theft as part of a business strategy, but I think you get the point.
So, if you are thinking about your future, remember success leaves clues. The question is, are you prepared to follow them?
