#ThinkfullyHabit: Shamelessly steal ideas
Look for new ideas to emulate, combine and adapt to your own situation. Good imitators go far and wide in search for fresh inspiration from diverse reference points and areas of life they don’t usually experience.
Take a listen to Steve Jobs talk about ‘stealing’ great ideas...
WHY?
Being inspired by others’ ideas is good business. In a 2010 study, researchers looked at 48 existing innovations and discovered that 70% of them were copied and that the rate of imitation is accelerating.*
“If you take the leading player in many sectors, you’ll be surprised to see that it’s not the pioneer but the able and creative imitator. Think McDonald’s, which imitated a system pioneered by White Castle; think Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, which all borrowed from the efforts of Diners Club to introduce the plastic card to a then-skeptical audience of consumers and merchants. Think Walmart. Its founder admitted that it had borrowed most of its practices from its predecessors but then improved on them and combined them into a winning formula. Today’s lions are the descendants of copycats.”
Creativity and innovation requires us being observant and open-minded to new ideas that cross your path. Ask yourself: “How could I apply this to my own situation?” The trick is to take the inspiration and apply the helpful ideas to make it work for you. It's not actually stealing and imitating. It should be stealing and adapting good ideas that make the biggest difference.