18/01/2025
Day 12 of 360: Self Discipline Revolution Challenge
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: The Power of Role Models in Shaping Success
Behind every great achiever, there's another achiever. It may be someone close to home, a parent, teacher, or friend. It may be someone currently famous. Or it may be a historical or mythological figure. There are probably many young cadets at West Point or Annapolis today who secretly dream of someday repeating the astonishing feats of General George S. Patton, the legendary World War II hero. Yet Patton himself attributed his success on the battlefield to great military leaders of the past.
From early childhood, one of his favorites was Alexander the Great, the young Greek ruler who nearly conquered the world over 2,000 years ago. Fascinated by Alexander's repeatedly successful conquests and his dashing personal style, Patton read everything he could about the ancient warrior. Soon he came to know Alexander intimately—his personality, his leadership style, his way of thinking and solving problems, his military strategies. Patton got to the point where he could think like Alexander the Great, act like Alexander the Great, and get results like Alexander the Great.
When he planned his battle strategies, Patton used tactics inspired by Alexander's greatest military achievements. And they worked. Patton was so successful in battle after battle that the Germans considered him to be the Allies' greatest weapon. Patton had Alexander the Great and his own disciplined personality to thank for his success. But Alexander himself had someone else to thank for his own brilliant military maneuvers. Alexander drew his inspiration from the mythical Greek god Hercules. After studying everything known about the mythical god of courage and strength, Alexander began to pattern his thinking, personal style, and actions after him.
There are countless other examples of the great learning from the great. Baseball champion Babe Ruth was once asked how he developed the hitting style that made people call him the king of the home run hitters. Ruth replied that he had simply studied and copied the greatest hitter of his time, a player called Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Most, if not all, great achievers draw their inspiration, their style, and their strategies from role models. How much we eventually achieve in life may well boil down to one simple ingredient: the quality of the models we choose to emulate. All human behavior begins with models. We learn to walk, talk, dress, and feed ourselves by watching our families doing those things every day. But we learn more than simple everyday activities from the people who surround us as we grow up. We also learn how to think and behave by watching the way they do.
Some people have excellent role models—successful parents, or a family friend who has achieved far beyond the ordinary. But having a role model is just the first step toward becoming a disciplined achiever. You must use that model, make it a part of your own personality, in order to succeed.
