Exemplars + Practice
A method for personal growth by intentionally choosing role models (exemplars) who raise your standards, and practicing imitating their behaviors or thought patterns in relevant situations.
THE IDEA
Exemplars + Practice
Two practices can help raise your standards:
- Choose the right exemplars—ones that raise your standards. Exemplars can be people you work with, people you admire, or even people who lived long ago. It doesn’t matter. What matters is they make you better in a certain area, like a skill, trait, or value.
- Practice imitating them in certain ways. Create space in the moment to reflect on what they’d do in your position, and then act accordingly.
If you don’t deliberately seek out examples to learn from, the people who end up surrounding you will be there by chance and not by choice. That group includes your parents, your friends, your family, your coworkers. Sure, your high school friends might be great examples of character and acumen, but odds are they’re average. Sure, your parents might be some of the smartest businesspeople in the world, but odds are they’re not. It’s not that you should remove these people from your life, though; controlling your environment just means intentionally adding exemplars into the mix.
When to use it
A manager seeking to enhance leadership skills observes a senior leader’s communication style and practices mirroring it in team meetings.
An individual working on fitness follows a disciplined athlete’s daily routine and mental resilience strategies.
A writer reads classic novels and tries to replicate the author’s narrative techniques in their own writing exercises.
A student struggling with procrastination identifies a disciplined peer and adopts their study habits by asking “What would they do right now?” before starting work.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Learning Investment Wisdom
A young entrepreneur studies Warren Buffett’s annual letters and interviews. When analyzing a potential investment, she asks herself, “What would Buffett look for in this situation?” and applies his value investing principles.
Improving Public Speaking
An aspiring speaker watches TED talks by a charismatic presenter. Before giving a talk, he visualizes how that speaker would deliver the opening lines and uses similar gestures and pacing to engage the audience.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Who is an exemplar I admire in an area I want to improve? What specific actions or mindsets do they embody?
How can I create reminders to pause and consider what my exemplar would do in a challenging moment?
Which skill or value would you like to develop, and who could provide an example you do not currently have?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Clear Thinking Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results (Shane Parrish)