Learn from Those Ahead of You

No one grows in isolation.

That?s the truth behind John Maxwell?s Law of Modeling: It?s hard to improve when you have no one to follow.

Growth accelerates when you surround yourself with people who?ve already been where you?re trying to go.

Don?t Reinvent the Wheel

Too many people try to figure life out solo. They pride themselves on being ?self-made.? But let?s be honest?no one is truly self-made. Everyone who?s made meaningful progress has had help, guidance, or influence from someone who went first.

As I wrote in 7 Life Lessons from the Trailer Park, don?t reinvent the wheel?find someone who?s already rolling. Mentors shorten your learning curve and save you from scars they?ve already earned.

That?s not weakness?it?s wisdom.

If you?re the smartest person in the room, you?re in the wrong room.

The Power of Example

You can read about success all day long, but watching someone live it is different. Modeling gives you a picture of what?s possible.

I learned that in the Marine Corps. You didn?t just get told how to lead?you saw it. The best leaders didn?t bark orders; they modeled discipline, composure, and commitment. You didn?t follow their words?you followed their example.

Good models make growth tangible. They give you something to measure against, to stretch toward, and to emulate in your own way.

What Makes a Good Model

Not every successful person makes a good model. The best models have three traits:

1. Integrity. Their words and actions match?especially when no one?s watching.
2. Teachability. They remember what it was like to start at the bottom.
3. Generosity. They don?t guard their wisdom?they share it.

A good model shows you what?s possible without pretending it?s easy.

My Modeling Moment

I still remember one of my first true mentors?a man who didn?t have all the answers but had the kind of steadiness I wanted. When challenges hit, he didn?t flinch. When success came, he didn?t boast.

Watching him taught me something no book could: leadership isn?t loud?it?s consistent.

I?ve carried that lesson ever since. And now, I make it a point to pass it forward?to be the kind of example others can model, the way someone once did for me.

That?s what leadership really is?growth in motion.

Be a Model Worth Following

At some point, you stop looking only for models and start realizing you?ve become one. Someone?s watching you right now?how you work, how you lead, how you respond when life gets hard.

The question is: are you modeling what you wish someone had shown you?

Growth isn?t just about learning from others; it?s about living in a way that others can learn from you.

Make It Count

If you want to grow faster, find people who?ve already done what you?re trying to do?and learn everything you can.

Then turn around and do the same for someone else.

Because real growth isn?t just personal?it?s contagious.

? Next week: Law #14 ? The Law of Expansion: Growth Always Increases Your Capacity.