Art of following role models - What really matters

A role model is a person who others look up to and admire and aspire to be. A role model naturally provides inspiration and motivation to seek out bigger and more optimistic accomplishments.

Role models usually send out messages about their beliefs and attitudes by what they do and say and how they conduct themselves. There is an increased trend in following role models which has become a fashion for many, a passion for the younger generation and obsession for some others.

From schoolchildren to top CEOs, all have role models they follow. It's not limited to a particular area. Role models are there in every category of performers from singers to athletes and from farmers to politicians. Can one actually copy another person and be equally successful?

Sounds logical but how practical is it?

This logic of following role models sounds appealing and meaningful. Duplicating success or following the footsteps of a successful leader may seem like a good idea, but the reasons people succeed are often not clear from just observing or measuring the characteristics of top performers from outside.

The environment and circumstances under which super performers or today's role models have become successful cannot be easily understood by another person and in some cases, the achiever himself may not really understand and explain how and under what conditions the results have been achieved. In my view, to duplicate successfully all external factors should be constant and the follower's knowledge and behavioural attributes should be identical and the opportunity should be the same or similar. How real is this in the dynamic world with very frequent dramatic changes?

Follow not the model but the traits

No doubt that each role model has his or her unique characteristics and mix of skills and talents others can emulate. Understanding and following these traits make sense.

There are skills that can be applied to any situation to accomplish goals. After all good role models are people who have achieved excellence in life under difficult conditions. One common trait you would see in super achievers is doing things differently. It's the difference that makes the difference - difference in vision, attitude, focus, commitment and hard work. Aren't these qualities you anyway knew and always wanted to develop? Success begins in the mind.

If you think and believe you can win you will. But this mental status should be supported with the said traits and learning and practising these unique or extraordinary traits add a new dimension to thinking and performing tasks.

Being human means having to constantly deal with stress and overcome obstacles.

A role model sets a good example on how to handle pressure. Role models can handle stress and come out successful more frequently than others when the pressure is on. While they may not win every time, when they fail they attempt to learn from their mistakes and do it better the next time. Perseverance is a key trait. Role models demonstrate that if you work hard to attain something, you actually can. They give you dreams and help set optimistic goals to aspire.

Learning from others is an art

When you read biographies and autobiographies of your role model understand the environmental challenges faced and traits heavily used to achieve the outcome rather than the outcome itself.

This will provide a broader understanding of why they do it and what they do.

We look to role models as examples of how to act when performing a particular role.

Though anyone can have a role model and most people do, children and executives are especially eager to follow another's example, although not always able to imagine the consequences that may follow. Learn from your role models by following their lead and understanding what motivates them fallen again the traits and not the individual.

Imitate what your role model does NOT do her non-actions. For example, if your employee role model does not attend after work happy hours with co-workers, do not attend them either.

Look for more than one role model and compare and understand similarities and differences between the two.

This will help you understand the motivation behind each one- decide what is closer to you so that it will come to you naturally.

There is always more than one way to achieve the same result. More aligned the trait is, greater the rate of success.

You like to know what I do? I do not follow an individual as such but follow the good traits of anyone whom I can learn something better from.

I let go of my old traits and embrace the new to keep evolving and to do better. I have learned from many people and from each one I have learnt a different thing.

I never wanted to be a copy of someone or achieve someone else's level of success.

I do set goals covering many aspects in life and achieve some and fail in some, but I won't give up. I learn from every activity I do daily and continuously try to do better.