Businesses often talk about wanting to be a high-performance organisation, myself included. But what makes a high performer is not a copy-and-paste exercise for the next wave of high achievers.

A high performer succeeds because of how they think, not just what they do. They find smarter ways of working, follow the process guidelines, and often improve the process for themselves. You can’t copy that mindset, you have to develop your own.

Yes, you can share the fundamentals and the thinking behind it, but the execution will always be personal.

Trying to duplicate yourself will only create more friction for you and your business, not better results.

One of the biggest causes of productivity loss is removing individuality.

This is one of the most common leadership mistakes. I’ve written about it many times, the idea of trying to multiply yourself:

“I would do it this way, so you should too.” “This worked for me, so it will work for you.”

It did work for you because it was your method. But it won’t work in exactly the same way for everyone else, or, in most cases, for anyone else.

What actually scales

Clear outcomes and expectations, with flexible execution.

I often use a golf metaphor here. Most of us have seen someone with a questionable swing and thought, how did that go straight down the fairway?

Flexible execution is about impact, not style. Golfers with unconventional swings who’ve mastered them still strike the ball in the right spot to get the result they need.

Translated to business, this means ensuring employees follow the core process guidelines, while allowing them to build their own way of achieving the outcome.

What I would suggest

• Define the non-negotiables (values, quality, outcomes)

• Leave the how open to the individual

• Coach towards the result, not the method

Sign off

You don’t need to create a carbon copy of yourself, you can’t anyway. What you need is clarity, trust, and room for people to perform their way.