InnovaBuzz Episode 88 – Introduction: Model the Masters

Introduction: Model the Masters

Today we introduce the Model the Masters series, where we study one of our guests as a model. We’ll focus on interpreting their beliefs, their motivation, their physiology, their thought processes and strategies that underlie their special skills and behaviour – how they achieve the outcomes that they do.

The objective is that this can become one tactic in a process of recreating excellence. In dissecting the success of our Model, then taking action to emulate what works really well and what serves our own situation well,  We’re expecting that we’ll be inspired to BE awesome and achieve excellence.  Basically, if we want to HAVE what the Model has (success in a particular area), then we DO what the Model does, and we need to BE like the Model.

Modelling the Masters, emulating someone who has achieved what you want to achieve, is the fastest, most effective and powerful way to get to have what they have and achieve your goals now!

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Listen to the Podcast

Show Notes

Key points and take-aways from this episode introducing Model the Masters:

Over the past 3 years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing accomplished entrepreneurs from around the world on the InnovaBuzz podcast and spending often more than an hour with each one, learning about them, their business, about what motivates them, about what they believe and ultimately about their keys to success.

Recently, I’ve been listening to some of the very first podcast interviews I did and I was reminded what fantastic information they contain and was amazed that I learnt a lot in listening again to those interviews.

In episode 80 of the InnovaBuzz podcast, I reflected on a visit to a Vincent Van Gogh exhibition and how Van Gogh’s body of work, his beliefs, his approach to his work, where he derived his inspiration from, all seemed to me like a metaphor for marketing. That inspired the episode, but also prompted a nagging itch in my mind, that I should make more of the idea of using metaphors to illustrate business principles – but what?

About 8 months ago, I moved my office into a larger room and put up a number of whiteboards on the walls – I love those whiteboards and have been writing and drawing on those almost daily. In fact, I wish I had more whiteboard space, as I really don’t want to erase things I put up there – I guess I should use the camera on the phone more to capture my scribblings!

One of the first things I wrote on a corner of one whiteboard, were the words “Model the Masters”.

I don’t remember where those words came from, or what inspired me to write them. All I know is, that they have been on that whiteboard for months, and I look at them often and think to myself, who can I learn from today? Who is a good model? What do they have that I want? What do they do to get what I want? Who are they being, so that they can do what they do and get what they get?

Then, recently, the last piece of the jigsaw fell into place, somewhere in the unconscious channels of my mind – and a concrete idea came to me while I was out riding my bike, alone – a time where I often get such ideas. That’s a story for another time.

The idea – podcast episodes titled “Model the Masters”, exploring what I’ve learnt from the interviews with my guests on the InnovaBuzz podcast, in some depth and giving you my perspective on what makes that Master successful.

Of course, the purpose is that we all learn from that Master, by modelling what they do. Why modelling?

As humans, we are always seeking to understand things and often we are hamstrung in taking action, because we haven’t yet understood something. We use the “need” to understand and the fact that we haven’t understood, as an “excuse” to not do, whatever it is that we need to do to achieve the result we want to have.

Yet, think back to when you were a young child. Did you understand the biomechanics of the human body before you started walking? No, you watched older children and adults walking, you tried to copy what they did, you fell over many times and perhaps hurt yourself, but got up again and kept copying what “the successful walkers” did, until you too mastered the art of walking. Once you were competent at walking without falling, you developed your own style and perhaps even explored other ways of walking – such as running, jumping, hurdling and so on. At that point you began to understand more about the “strategy” of walking.

Children learn to talk in exactly the same way – emulating those sounds they hear others making. Soon they too are talking – well before they learn about the structure of language, about grammar rules and how to spell words and write sentences.

Modelling, is by far the most effective and fastest way to learn anything, so why not apply the concept of modelling, to learning from the amazing and successful entrepreneurs that I’ve had the privilege of interviewing?

That’s the background to Model the Masters.

From Episode 90 of the InnovaBuzz podcast, every alternate episode will be a Model the Masters episode, where I study one of our guests as a model. I’ll focus on interpreting their beliefs, their motivation, their physiology, their thought processes and strategies that underlie their special skills and behaviour – how they achieve the outcomes that they do.

My objective is that this can become one tactic in a process of recreating excellence. In dissecting the success of our Model, then taking action to emulate what works really well and what serves our own situation well, I’m expecting that we’ll be inspired to BE awesome and achieve excellence. Basically, if we want to HAVE what the Model has (success in a particular area), then we DO what the Model does, and we need to BE like the Model.

The first Model the Masters will be in Episode 90, in two weeks time – the first featured Master is a surprise, largely because I haven’t yet decided who and therefore don’t even know myself!

Just to summarize – Modelling the Masters, emulating someone who has achieved what you want to achieve, is the fastest, most effective and powerful way to get to have what they have and achieve your goals now!

To Be a Leader

That would be a no-brainer this week, right – Model the Masters!

Listen to the Podcast