nerdleader

The most important way to learn (outside of books/teachers) is through experience, but it is as important to learn through the experiences of others as it is acquiring our own first-hand experience. In this way we can learn new ways of thinking and acting, and new ways of reacting to changing circumstances, that will prepare us for situations that we have not yet encountered and hone our approach to our everyday environment. Role models are not your traditional teachers – we students are not looking specifically for new skills, per se, but rather new behaviors and ways of approaching life and career. Where perhaps we may act one way, we can look at the “role” that the role model is in and learn from their approaches.

Finding role models can be easy. We can listen to others about their role models and decide if they have traits worth emulating, for example. Or we can investigate and learn from history – George Washington, perhaps? Seneca, maybe? Trajan; Vercingetorix; the list out of history is endless. With the advent of the internet (and let us be honest with ourselves – YouTube) we have millions of people we can watch and learn from if we so desire. We need not look for perfect role models – no one is perfect – but there is a plethora of public people we can emulate. And while the traits that make a good role model are situationally dependent (so I cannot give you a one-size-fits-all list), we know you should find people with integrity and a good work ethic. American history being what it is – built by white males out of a white male civilization – it may be hard to find exceptionally diverse role models, but the list of tremendous leaders is so long that you will find some diverse opinions.

As you uncover more details about famous leaders (Wellington, Louis XIV?), artists (Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci?), magnates (Carnegie, Mellon, Welch?), you will need to spend time understanding these individuals. Read their biographies and analyses and come to an understanding of what made them tick. I would hesitate from concluding that any successful individual is worthy of being a role model – the more we find out about Steve Jobs, for example, the more we collectively decide that maybe he was not a great person after all. But he had an exceptional eye for design and a unique way of communicating that might be worth learning about.

But truly put yourself into their shoes. One thing I do is imagine I am giving a presentation to Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, both of whom were notoriously strong questioners and critics. I feel the heat, and feel the massive amount of preparation I would need to do before even getting into that room. But I also put myself on the other side of the table and try to get a feeling for the huge decisions they need to make on a regular basis, and how they need to be exceptionally discerning when it comes to the large number of proposals brought to them. I think about the legacies they are trying to leave, and how they were both able to find numerous successes throughout their careers. I try to live up to their example as insightful individuals with a keen eye for detail and models for cutting to the heart of the matter.

Once we can visualize and understand our role models, we must uncover how to integrate their behaviors into our own approach. I admire Steve Ballmer’s energy level, but I also know I should not emulate his penchant for going up on stage and saying the wrong thing. I must use my imagination to conjure up what all 5 senses will be experiencing when going through similar events. I must feel the audience anticipation, the sweat on my back, the electronic tang of being up on stage. When we can wholly visualize ourselves emulating our role models, we can do it in real life.

By building this mental muscle memory we will be able to react in a deliberate, thoughtful way – ideally, much like how our role models would react, but infused with our own personalities and self. We may never build the business acumen of a Warren Buffet, but we may find the inner peace that allows him to avoid buying fancy cars and houses and emulate his approach to living. We may be able to smile in the face of danger, utilize our bearing to instill confidence, or exude compassion and understanding, all by researching and learning about how some of the great people in our world have handled themselves and seeking to emulate their examples.