I came across this wonderful article in the Telegraph which hypothesises that humans (and to some lesser degree great apes) have a unique ability to learn from each other by copying and this is one key reason for our accelerated progress.  We don’t need to evolve to create new functionality, we can simply reproduce the actions of our peers.

Interestingly, the ‘Not Invented Here’ syndrome flies in the face of this key strategy, and can block progress in Change programmes.  Of course you need to adapt what you copy to ensure it is a comfortable fit with your own situation, capabilities and resources, but it is this very tailoring that creates the next step in the chain.  Something doesn’t need to be original to work, it might just need to be different.

Copy from the best but never slavishly.  Always walking 5 paces behind someone else may get you where you need to be, but ensure you never copy without asking if this strategy fits your needs and circumstances

“A woman is handicapped by her sex, and handicaps society, either by slavishly copying the pattern of man’s advance in the professions, or by refusing to compete with man at all.”    Betty Friedan

“If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.”   Anthony Robbins